DeepSummary
The episode discusses three historically significant roads: the Ridgeway in England, which is believed to be one of the oldest roads in the world and has been used for around 5,000 years; the National Road in the United States, which was the first federally funded road connecting the East Coast to the Ohio River Valley; and the Autostrada del Sole (Highway of the Sun) in Italy, a modern highway completed in 1964 and lauded for its innovative design.
The Ridgeway in England is an ancient thoroughfare running along a chalk ridge, offering travelers dry passage and good visibility. It passes by prehistoric burial mounds, stone circles, and other historical sites. The enclosure acts in the 18th-19th centuries consolidated the various paths into a single delineated roadway.
The National Road, also known as the Cumberland Road, was built between 1806-1838 to connect the East Coast to the newly admitted state of Ohio and the Northwest Territory. It established early standards for U.S. roadways and facilitated westward expansion, though its funding was controversial. Parts of it later became incorporated into U.S. Route 40.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Roads and highways have played a historically significant role in connecting places, fostering trade and development, but also sometimes disrupting communities.
- Ancient roads like the Ridgeway in England passed through and enabled access to various prehistoric sites and structures.
- The National Road was the first major federally-funded infrastructure project in the U.S., aimed at westward expansion and establishing early road standards.
- Italy's Autostrada del Sole showcased innovative engineering and design, transforming travel and economies along its route.
- The construction and routes of major roads were often controversial, with debates around funding, starting points, and impacts.
- Major roads enabled the growth of some towns and decline of others based on proximity and changing transportation routes.
- Roads left lasting cultural and architectural legacies like the church memorializing Autostrada workers.
- Personal experiences, travel stories, and community voices offer additional insights into the human impacts of roads.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “There are more interesting stops along the ridgeway, where you can see other historical sites, but we're going back to the ridgeway itself.“ by Tracy V. Wilson
- “Also, just for clarity, and not anything Tracy did, but I did. We know Ohio, not a state in 1802, because it was even before that statehood, but knowing that it was likely.“ by Holly Frey
- “The Autostrada del sole is sometimes sensible and other times a violent insertion whose transformation potential reverberates well beyond its physical boundaries.“ by Alessandro Benetti (quote from article)
- “The plans for the highway of the sun owed a lot to the Purricelli design of the Lake highway, along with a good deal of additional engineering.“ by Tracy V. Wilson
- “Always food for thought as you travel on your summer trips.“ by Holly Frey
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Episode Information
Stuff You Missed in History Class
iHeartPodcasts
7/1/24