Surging West

By 1800, the Appalachian Mountain barrier has finally been pierced, with the opening of the first road through the Appalachian Mountains. Almost overnight, a flood of Virginians pushes through into Kentucky.

The new gateway opens up the lower Ohio River valley, with almost limitless access to new land. There are Indian settlements everywhere, but surprisingly little armed resistance to the new invasion of white settlers.

In France, Napoleon needs money to build his empire, and by a lucky chance, is willing to sell America a huge chunk of land between the Mississippi River and the distant Western mountains. This is the famous 'Louisiana Purchase.'
Virginians in Kentucky, 1800 map

  Path Through the Mountains
The westward expansion of America begins in earnest when the Cumberland Gap is opened, allowing settlers to pass through the mountains for the first time (GREEN arrow). The route is pioneered by Daniel Boone, a militia officer turned frontiersman (top right). For the next century, the story of America will be driven by a continued push westward.

Wilderness Road, Daniel Boone, 1800 map

  Doorway to the West
The new Wilderness Road (ORANGE line) through the Cumberland Gap ushers in a whole new era of expansion for America. Pioneered by Daniel Boone (leading settlers, above), this is a steep trail over rough ground, not suitable for wagons. Even so, some 30,000 Virginians pour through the gap in the first five years. This is convincing proof of the attractive power of new lands, freshly opened. Pioneers moving into Kentucky, however, soon discover that it was still just wilderness. They are on their own, again.


Louisiana Purchase, 1803

  Doubling the Country
The westward push gets an unexpected boost from events in Europe. France has just acquired the vast Louisiana Territory (BLUE highlight) from Spain, including the vital port city of New Orleans (lower right). But the new French dictator, Napoleon, happens to need money at just this moment to finance his ambitions of European conquest. He offers to sell America the entire Louisiana Territory for just $15 million. America jumps at the offer, and doubles in size, overnight.