Three Historic Routes Across the Appalachians

1. Cumberland Gap (1750, Dr. Thomas Walker) – Virginia to Kentucky; now Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
2. Potomac River Corridor – Native American then settler route from East Coast to Ohio Valley; spans MD, WV, VA, DC.
3. Mohawk Valley – Iroquois then European route from New York to Great Lakes; central NY.

These gaps and valleys were the gateways for westward expansion.