By: Adriana Noton
Published: June 23, 2010
The automobile has had a special place in the hearts and minds of America since early in its development. Americans love to travel, to see the varied and spectacular scenery the nation holds and to simply entertain themselves with the cultural idiosyncrasies of the diverse United States. Having roadside assistance ensures there is help should it ever be necessary while we are enjoying our freedom to travel.
We have been a nation on the move since the pioneer days. Back then our travel was more driven by the need to expand and find for each individual a place and means for sustenance. The west was as romantic back then as the movies portrayed it, full of promise and wide open for the entrepreneurial spirit.
Travel was, however, a dramatic and yet cumbersome proposition in those early days. There were a plethora of difficulties to conquer, especially since the travel was accomplished by wagon train or horseback. It was a slow, uncomfortable and difficult endeavor undertaken by hardy individuals with a true lust for adventure or that had nothing to lose and everything to gain by starting over in a new and unfinished place.
The pioneers persevered, however, and despite many losses along the way, settlements were established throughout the country. Travel generally followed the designated postal routes of waterways and railways, with that mostly ending in Saint Joseph, Missouri, where further travel became truly an adventure. This explains why there are so many antique shops in that city, as the westward journey found unprepared settlers having to part with many of their belongings at the end of the railway system. They just could not get everything in a wagon.
It was not until 1863 that the transcontinental railway was begun, and it would take three years to complete it. It would take another fifty years before a regular highway was built across America. The dedication of the Lincoln highway, in honor of the president, took place in 1913. Spanning the nation from New York to California it would serve to inspire a later system of roadways to interconnect America in a truly revolutionary way.
The Lincoln Highway served as inspiration for the drafting of the National Interstate and Defense Act of 1956 which provided for the construction of the interstate highway system. Formally entitled the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, this system served two purposes. It encouraged and facilitated interstate tourism and business, and it provided the means to move the massive military machine should the US every come under attack. President Eisenhower had been impressed by the German roadway system while he served as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II.
This notion of assisting with the national defense is the answer to a number of trivialities about the roadway. The answer to why there is an interstate in Hawaii and Alaska is answered by the connectivity between military bases in these two states, as the original bill authorizing its construction was also a national defense endeavor. Also one mile out of every five miles is straight, allowing it to be used as an emergency landing field if it is necessary (more prominent with CAA insurance).
Travel across the united States in the form of a road trip has been immortalized in movies and been a part of most American lives. About the only downside to traveling across the nation is the time it takes and the possibility of having your car malfunction or just die altogether out in the middle of nowhere. The introduction of roadside assistance has all but taken these risks out of the equation.
About the Author:
With CAA insurance, you can feel relaxed if you face a vehicular emergency. And who knows? You might even win a Las Vegas vacation package if you accrue enough points in some CAA insurance packages!
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