One of the main ways in which travel routes today differ from the trade routes of classical era civilizations is that they're far safer, since people have to worry much less about being robbed and/or injured--this is due mostly to government oversight and policing of the routes in question.<span />
<span>The Erie Canal allwed for the American Midwest to transport their good via waterway to the port in New York City and then out to the world for consumption via trade. The Erie Canal was the largest civic project the United States built up to that point in time and made settling the midwest much more economical.</span>
Because they killed a bunch of innocent people.
During the American Civil War.
The Dark Ages as they were referred to in many historical texts talk about and go into detail why that period of man were deep in superstition and religious wars or crusades and many of the deadly diseases that could have ultimately destroyed humanity but, the disease was known as the Black Plague due to a specific breed of rats that spread it around Europe and the United Kingdom with bites, scratches and people who ate them due to poverty and etc. Martin Luther in the time of the dark ages had written texts to reform the churchs and led to the Protestant Revolution. If you are looking to expand on this you can find many historical texts that go into specific parts or reasons the Dark Ages happened.
