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eels； it gave him an entry to the waters of New York。 Livingston and Fulton thus supplemented each other； Livingston possessed a monopoly and Fulton a correct estimate of the value of paddle wheels and； secondly； of Boulton and Watt engines。 It was a rare combination destined to crown with success a long period of effort and discouragement in the history of navigation。
After considerable delay and difficulty； the two Americans obtained permission to export the necessary engine from Great Britain and shipped it to New York； whither Fulton himself proceeded to construct his steamboat。 The hull was built by Charles Brown； a New York shipbuilder； and the Boulton and Watt machinery； set in masonry； was finally installed。
The voyage to Albany； against a stiff wind； occupied thirty…two hours； the return trip was made in thirty。 H。 Freeland； one of the spectators who stood on the banks of the Hudson when the boat made its maiden voyage in 1807； gives the following description：
〃Some imagined it to be a sea…monster whilst others did not hesitate to express their belief that it was a sign of the approaching judgment。 What seemed strange in the vessel was the substitution of lofty and straight smoke…pipes； rising from the deck； instead of the gracefully tapered masts。。。and； in place of the spars and rigging； the curious play of the walking…beam and pistons； and the slow turning and splashing of the huge and naked paddlewheels； met the astonished gaze。 The dense clouds of smoke； as they rose； wave upon wave； added still more to the wonderment of the rustics。。。。 On her return trip the curiosity she excited was scarcely less intense。。。fishermen became terrified； and rode homewards； and they saw nothing but destruction devastating their fishing grounds； whilst the wreaths of black vapor and rushing noise of the paddle…wheels； foaming with the stirred…up water； produced great excitement。。。。〃
With the launching of the Clermont on the Hudson a new era in American history began。 How quick with life it was many of the preceding pages bear testimony。 The infatuation of the public for building toll and turnpike roads was now at its height。 Only a few years before； a comprehensive scheme of internal improvements had been outlined by Jefferson's Secretary of the Treasury； Albert Gallatin。 When a boy； it is said； he had lain on the floor of a surveyor's cabin on the western slopes of the Alleghanies and had heard Washington describe to a rough crowd of Westerners his plan to unite the Great Lakes with the Potomac in one mighty chain of inland commerce。 Jefferson's Administration was now about to devote the surplus in the Treasury to the construction of national highways and canals。 The Cumberland Road； to be built across the Alleghanies by the War Department； was authorized by the president in the same year in which the Clermont made her first trip； and Jesse Hawley； at his table in a little room in a Pittsburgh boarding house； was even now penning in a series of articles； published in the Pittsburgh Commonwealth； beginning in January； 1807； the first clear challenge to the Empire State to connect the Hudson and Lake Erie by a canal。 Thus the two next steps in the history of inland commerce in America were ready to be taken。
CHAPTER VIII。 The Conquest Of The Alleghanies
The two great thoroughfares of American commerce in the first half of the nineteenth century were the Cumberland Road and the Erie Canal。 The first generation of the new century witnessed the great burst of population into the West which at once gave Ohio； Indiana； Illinois； Michigan； and Wisconsin a place of national importance which they have never relinquished。 So far as pathways of commerce contributed to the creation of this veritable new republic in the Middle West； the Cumberland Road and the Erie Canal； cooperating respectively with Ohio River and Lake Erie steamboats； were of the utmost importance。 The national spirit； said to have arisen from the second war with England； had its clearest manifestation in the throwing of a great macadamized roadway across the Alleghanies to the Ohio River and the digging of the Erie Canal through the swamps and wildernesses of New York。
Both of these pathways were essentially the fruition of the doctrine to which Washington gave wide circulation in his letter to Harrison in 1784； wherein he pictured the vision of a vast Republic united by commercial chains。 Both were essentially Western enterprises。 The highway was built to fulfil the promise which the Government had made in 1802 to use a portion of the money accruing from the sale of public lands in Ohio in order to connect that young State with Atlantic waters。 It was proposed to build the canal； according to one early plan； with funds to be obtained by the sale of land in Michigan。 So firmly did the promoters believe in the national importance of this project that subscriptions； according to another plan； were to be solicited as far afield as Vermont in the North and Kentucky in the Southwest。 All that Washington had hoped for； and all that Aaron Burr is supposed to have been hopeless of； were epitomized in these great works of internal improvement。 They bespoke cooperation of the highest existing types of loyalty； optimism； financial skill； and engineering ability。
Yet； on the other hand； the contrasts between these undertakings were great。 The two enterprises； one the work of the nation and the other that of a single State； were practically contemporaneous and were therefore constantly inviting comparison。 The Cumberland Road was； for its day； a gigantic government undertaking involving problems of finance； civil engineering； eminent domain； state rights； local favoritism； and political machination。 Its purpose was noble and its successful construction a credit to the nation； but the paternalism to which it gave rise and the conflicts which it precipitated in Congress over questions of constitutionality were remembered soberly for a century。 The Erie Canal； after its projectors had failed to obtain national aid； became the undertaking of one commonwealth conducted； amid countless doubts and jeers； to a conclusion unbelievably successful。 As a result many States； foregoing Federal aid； attempted to duplicate the successful feat of New York。 In this respect the northern canal resembled the Lancaster Turnpike and tempted scores of States and corporations to expenditures which were unwise in circumstances less favorable than those of the fruitful and strategic Empire State。
In the conception of both the roadway and the canal； it should be noted； the old idea of making use of navigable rivers still persisted。 The act foreshadowing the Cumberland Road； passed in 1802； called for 〃making public roads leading from the navigable waters emptying into the Atlantic； to the Ohio； to said State Ohio and through the same〃； and Hawley's original plan was to build the Erie Canal from Utica to Buffalo using the Mohawk from Utica to the Hudson。
Historic Cumberland； in Maryland； was chosen by Congress as the eastern terminus of the great highway which should bind Ohio to the Old Thirteen。 Commissioners were appointed in 1806 to choose the best route by which the great highway co