For the early phases of inland navigation John Pickell's "A New Chapter in the Early Life of Washington" (1856), is an excellent work of the old-fashioned type, while in Herbert B.Adams's "Maryland's Influence upon Land Cessions to the United States"("Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science, Third Series," I, 1885) a master-hand pays Washington his due for originating plans of trans-Alleghany solidarity; this likewise is the theme of Archer B.Hulbert's "Washington and the West" (1905) wherein is printed Washington's "Diary of September, 1784," containing the first and unexpurgated draft of his classic letter to Harrison of that year.The publications of the various societies for internal improvement and state boards of control and a few books, such as Turner Camac's "Facts and Arguments Respecting the Great Utility of an Extensive Plan of Inland Navigation in America" (1805), give the student distinct impressions of the difficulties and the ideals of the first great American promoters of inland commerce.Elkanah Watson's "History of the...Western Canals in the State of New York" (1820), despite inaccuracies due to lapses of memory, should be specially remarked.
For the rise and progress of turnpike building one must remember W.Kingsford's "History, Structure, and Statistics of Plank Roads" (1852), a reliable book by a careful writer.The Cumberland (National) Road has its political influence carefully adjudged by Jeremiah S.Young in "A Political and Constitutional Study of the Cumberland Road" (1904), while the social and personal side is interestingly treated in county history style in Thomas B.Searight's "The Old Pike" (1894).Motorists will appreciate Robert Bruce's "The National Road" (1916), handsomely illustrated and containing forty-odd sectional maps.
The best life of Fulton is H.W.Dickinson's "Robert Fulton, Engineer and Artist: His Life and Works" (1913), while in Alice Crary Sutcliffe's "Robert Fulton and the 'Clermont'" (1909), the more intimate picture of a family biography is given.For the controversy concerning the Fulton-Livingston monopoly, note W.A.
Duer's "A Course of Lectures on Constitutional Jurisprudence" and his pamphlets addressed to Cadwallader D.Colden.The life of that stranger to success, the forlorn John Fitch, was written sympathetically and after assiduous research by Thompson Westcott in his "Life of John Fitch the Inventor of the Steamboat" (1858).
For the pamphlet war between Fitch and Rumsey see Allibone's Dictionary.
The Great Lakes have not been adequately treated.E.Channing and M.F.Lansing's "The Story of the Great Lakes" (1909) is reliable but deals very largely with the routine history covered by the works of Parkman.J.O.Curwood's "The Great Lakes" (1909) is stereotyped in its scope but has certain chapters of interest to students of commercial development, as has also "The Story of the Great Lakes." The vast bulk of material of value on the subject lies in the publications of the New York, Buffalo, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Chicago Historical Societies, whose lists should be consulted.These publications also give much data on the Mississippi River and western commercial development.S.
L.Clemens's "Life on the Mississippi" (in his "Writings," vol.
IX,1869-1909) is invaluable for its graphic pictures of steamboating in the heyday of river traffic.A.B.Hulbert's "Waterways of Western Expansion" ("Historic Highways," vol.IX, 1903) and "The Ohio River" (1906) give chapters on commerce and transportation.For the beginnings of traffic into the Far West, H.Inman's "The Old Santa Fe Trail" (1897) and "The Great Salt Lake Trail" (1914) may be consulted, together with the publications of the various state historical societies of the trans-Mississippi States.
Various bibliographies on this general subject have been issued by the Library of Congress.Seymour Dunbar gives a good bibliography in his "A History of Travel in America," 4 vols.
(1915).The student will find quantities of material in books of travel, in which connection he would do well to consult Solon J.
Buck's "Travel and Description, 1765-1865" ("Illinois State Historical Library Collections," vol.IX, 1914).
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