Question

Who did most Westerners feel should be responsible for paying for internal improvements?

Answer 1

As part of Henry Clay's "American System", internal improvements including federal funding for roads and canals (see Erie Canal) would improve transportation and help commercialize the nation, as well as help develop ties between respective sections of America. One of these improvements was the National Road (fully completed in 1839), sometimes referred to as the Cumberland Road only because it begins in Cumberland, MD (and ends in Vandalia, Illinois). James' Madison and Monroe both supported interstate roads like this sensing the urgent need for decent transportation routes. But, when congressmen proposed spending federal money on local projects, the two presidents both were quick to veto them, citing their unconstitutionality. In 1830, Andrew Jackson unexpectedly vetoed the Maysville Road Bill. Being a westerner, he surely saw the urgent need for better transportation. Looking a little bit deeper, who was the American System proposed by? Henry Clay. Who was Jackson arch-political-rival? Indeed, Henry Clay. By this time, Jackson sought to end all of the debate over the internal improvements because they seemed to always dissatisfy somebody, so he refused to provide any federal funding for any of them. The impact of the internal improvements was immense, as it helped to country progress as a unified nation through much-needed transportation. And with projects like the National Road, commerce in the area would be changed for decades to come.