20. Dwight David Eisenhower and the Interstate Highway System
One of the myths of the American Interstate Highway System is that Dwight Eisenhower, impressed with Hitler’s autobahn, wanted a similar system for the United States. Except that it wasn’t Hitler’s autobahn at all, it was largely in existence in 1931, two years before the Fuhrer became Chancellor of Germany and the Nazi party assumed control of the German government. Hitler did expand the project upon assuming power, under the leadership of Fritz Todt. The autobahns were not built to facilitate the movement of troops, as most of Germany’s war machines moved long distances by train or air. They were built as a public works project. Eisenhower, who had traveled across the United States by car and truck in the 1920s, was well aware of the need for a better road system there.
In the 1930s the US government began extensive studies of what eventually became the Interstate Highway System, as well as improvements to the existing US Highway System. As President, Eisenhower, no doubt recalling the months-long cross-country trip of the 1920s became a champion of the project, influenced by both General Motors and Standard Oil, both of which saw the benefits to their business models. Construction began in 1956. The original system was declared complete in 1992, after 35 years of work and more than $500 billion dollars spent. As the interstates grew America’s passenger and interurban rail systems faded. Large sections of the interstate system are functionally obsolete today, carrying traffic well beyond their design loads, especially on bridges across the country.
Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“Washington: A Life”. Ron Chernow. 2010
“Ice Cream”. Article, The Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Online
“Molly Pitcher, A.K. A. Mary Ludwig Hays”. Entry, American Battlefield Trust. Online
“Declaration of Independence”. Entry, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Online
“The Causes of the War of 1812”. Paul J. Springer, Foreign Policy Research Institute. March 31, 2017
“The Beginnings of American Railroads and Mapping”. Article, Library of Congress. Online
“Civil War Casualties in Lee’s Battles and Campaigns”. Article, History on the Net. Online
“Go West Young Man – An Elusive Slogan”. Thomas Fuller, Indiana Magazine of History. September, 2004
“The Evolution of Western Wear”. G. Daniel DeWeese, True West Magazine. June 28, 2009
“Edison: The Man who Made the Future”. Ronald William Clark. 1977
“The Jumpers of ‘29”. Bennett Lowenthal, The Washington Post. October 25, 1987
“Highway History”. Articles, Federal Highway System, US Department of Transportation. Online