When the United States was young, most people lived on the East Coast. As the population grew, people needed more land and supplies. The Northwest Territory, an area of land around the Great Lakes, had open space and rich farmland. It also had natural resources such as timber (trees used for building), minerals, and animal furs.

However, traveling between the East and the Northwest Territory was not easy. The route was long, and it passed through the Appalachian Mountains. This was a time before highways, cars, and trains. People had to travel on small roads and rivers, and it took weeks to make the dangerous trip.