Cause of the Building of the Interstate

 

The two events that gave Eisenhower the idea of the Interstate that we know today happened before he even became president. While General Dwight David Eisenhower served in World War II he was impressed by how the Autobahn in Germany held up in times of war. In enemy attacks the consequences are much greater to destroy a rail way than an expansive road way system. He noted that the Autobahn was far more durable in times of war also. While our US railway systems would become useless until repaired even if only a small stretch was damaged, the Autobahn was still useable after an attack. The second event that gave Eisenhower the idea for our intricate interstate highway system was when he and a caravan were carrying military supplies from Washington D.C to Union Square in San Francisco. They departed on July 7^th 1919 and the journey took 62 days.  Within one year of becoming president in 1953 he began his quest to create the Interstate system