United States Department of Transportation
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Abstract:This report presents a history of a plan for the federal promotion of inland transportation and established the principles that have guided the government's role in water-related public works. Albert Gallatin, Jefferson's Secretary of the Treasury, advocated considerable federal assistance, arguing that private capital was not being used to develop roads and canals. Many areas through which potential avenues of traffic would run were settled only sparsely, if at all, and more attractive investments diverted the precious supply of available capital. Gallatin maintained the federal government could overcome these obstacles by participating in construction of extensive projects that would, in turn, stimulate private enterprise to carry on further improvements. The prototype for many future plans of internal improvement, Gallatin's report called for canals along the Atlantic Coast, canals linking the Atlantic Ocean with the western rivers and the Great Lakes, and interior roads and canals to provide strategic local connections. The elaborate plan further proposed that the government conduct engineering surveys to establish the need and plan for improvements beneficial to the national interest.
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[PDF-1.16 MB]
