The National Road: George Washington and America's First Highway West

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Upon America’s 250th anniversary comes the story of a new republic forging unity through ambition and action, inspired by George Washington’s youthful dream to build the nation’s first highway west

The National Roadis the first narrative history of the federal project—begun decades before the nation itself was born and ranging through the 1830s—that connected the United States across the Alleghenies and into the western frontier. Starting with a young Washington’s dream of uniting the Potomac and Ohio Rivers, historian Brady J. Crytzer traces the political rivalries and engineering marvels that created an artery bringing settlers, ideas, and commerce deep into the American interior.

Washington scouted the western frontier as a surveyor and championed a route to unite the fledgling republic. Albert Gallatin, America’s longest-serving treasury secretary, battled political opposition to fund the project. Thomas Jefferson, torn between his agrarian ideals and the demands of a growing nation, ultimately championed the road as a means of securing western lands and extending democratic reach. And Henry Clay harnessed the road to advance his bold American System.

With visionaries, rebels, and everyday families seeking the American dream, and featuring congressional showdowns and backroom deals to mountain crossings and frontier towns,The National Roadreveals the triumphs and tragedies of an infrastructure saga that helped define the United States.Brady J. Crytzer is a historian of the American frontier and the award-winning author ofThe Whiskey Rebellion, Guyasuta and the Fall of Indian America,andHessians: Mercenaries, Rebels,and theWar for British North America. His writing has appeared in theWall Street Journal, theWashington Post, and theJournal of the American Revolution. He is the host of the acclaimed podcastDispatches, and he appears regularly on the cable seriesInto the Wild FrontierandOutlaws and Lawmen, as well as Fox Nation's new series, Blood On The Bridge: The Battle of Lexington & Concord. He teaches at Robert Morris University. For The National Road

“America’s first great national project. . . . A fine reminder that a revolution first united our nation, but roads kept it united.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Brady Crytzer’s scholarship and storytelling skills have restored the National Road’s significance for the early American republic and for our own time. Through his engaging portraits of George Washington, Albert Gallatin, and Henry Clay, he captures key debates over the federal government’s role in infrastructure and the National Road’s crucial role in America’s westward expansion.”
—David L. Preston, The Citadel, Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize-winning author ofBraddock’s Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution

“The vivid, compelling, and rarely-researched story of our first national highway. Full of captivating detail and astounding twists and turns, Crytzer’sThe National Roadrecounts how a revolving roster of American stalwarts—Washington, Jefferson, Albert Gallatin, Henry Clay—managed to conceive and establish this essential artery for western expansion.”
—Tom McMillan, author ofThe Year That Made America: From Rebellion to Independence, 1775–1776

“WithThe National Road, Brady Crytzer builds upon his impressive record as a chronicler of the young and bustling American republic. This dynamic narrative explores a century-long journey of ambition, danger, and speculation across the generations. A lively blend of political history and backcountry adventure.”
—Jared Fr
Crytzer, Brady J.
ISBN: 9781635769494

Specs

Book format
Hardcover
Fiction/nonfiction
Fiction
Genre
Literature & Fiction
Publication date
January, 2026
Pages
368
Reading level
Preschool

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The National Road: George Washington and America's First Highway West

Upon America’s 250th anniversary comes the story of a new republic forging unity through ambition and action, inspired by George Washington’s youthful dream to build the nation’s first highway west

The National Roadis the first narrative history of the federal project—begun decades before the nation itself was born and ranging through the 1830s—that connected the United States across the Alleghenies and into the western frontier. Starting with a young Washington’s dream of uniting the Potomac and Ohio Rivers, historian Brady J. Crytzer traces the political rivalries and engineering marvels that created an artery bringing settlers, ideas, and commerce deep into the American interior.

Washington scouted the western frontier as a surveyor and championed a route to unite the fledgling republic. Albert Gallatin, America’s longest-serving treasury secretary, battled political opposition to fund the project. Thomas Jefferson, torn between his agrarian ideals and the demands of a growing nation, ultimately championed the road as a means of securing western lands and extending democratic reach. And Henry Clay harnessed the road to advance his bold American System.

With visionaries, rebels, and everyday families seeking the American dream, and featuring congressional showdowns and backroom deals to mountain crossings and frontier towns,The National Roadreveals the triumphs and tragedies of an infrastructure saga that helped define the United States.Brady J. Crytzer is a historian of the American frontier and the award-winning author ofThe Whiskey Rebellion, Guyasuta and the Fall of Indian America,andHessians: Mercenaries, Rebels,and theWar for British North America. His writing has appeared in theWall Street Journal, theWashington Post, and theJournal of the American Revolution. He is the host of the acclaimed podcastDispatches, and he appears regularly on the cable seriesInto the Wild FrontierandOutlaws and Lawmen, as well as Fox Nation's new series, Blood On The Bridge: The Battle of Lexington & Concord. He teaches at Robert Morris University. For The National Road

“America’s first great national project. . . . A fine reminder that a revolution first united our nation, but roads kept it united.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Brady Crytzer’s scholarship and storytelling skills have restored the National Road’s significance for the early American republic and for our own time. Through his engaging portraits of George Washington, Albert Gallatin, and Henry Clay, he captures key debates over the federal government’s role in infrastructure and the National Road’s crucial role in America’s westward expansion.”
—David L. Preston, The Citadel, Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize-winning author ofBraddock’s Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution

“The vivid, compelling, and rarely-researched story of our first national highway. Full of captivating detail and astounding twists and turns, Crytzer’sThe National Roadrecounts how a revolving roster of American stalwarts—Washington, Jefferson, Albert Gallatin, Henry Clay—managed to conceive and establish this essential artery for western expansion.”
—Tom McMillan, author ofThe Year That Made America: From Rebellion to Independence, 1775–1776

“WithThe National Road, Brady Crytzer builds upon his impressive record as a chronicler of the young and bustling American republic. This dynamic narrative explores a century-long journey of ambition, danger, and speculation across the generations. A lively blend of political history and backcountry adventure.”
—Jared Fr
Crytzer, Brady J.
ISBN: 9781635769494

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Specifications

Book format

Hardcover

Fiction/nonfiction

Fiction

Genre

Literature & Fiction

Publication date

January, 2026

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