Transcript Features of the United States

Major Waterways in
the United States
America’s Waterways
•Mississippi River
•Colorado River
•Missouri River
•Rio Grande River
•Ohio River
•St. Lawrence River
•Columbia River
•Gulf of Mexico
•Atlantic Ocean
•Pacific Ocean
Why are waterways important
to United States history?
Settlement
Transportation
Trade
River Descriptions
The Columbia River was explored by Lewis and
Clark.
 The Colorado River was explored by the Spanish.
 The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers were the
transportation arteries for the farm and
industrial products. They are also links to ports
and other parts of the world.

Additional Rivers
The Ohio River was the “gateway to
the west”.
 The St. Lawrence River forms part of
the northeastern border with Canada
and connects the Great Lakes to the
Atlantic Ocean.
 The Rio Grande forms the border with
Mexico.

Great Lakes
Inland port cities grew in the Midwest along the Great
Lakes.
The Pacific Ocean was an early exploration
destination.
 The Gulf of Mexico provided the French and
Spanish exploration routes to Mexico and parts
of America.
 The Atlantic Ocean served as the highway for
explorers, early settlers, and later immigrants.


The location of the United States,
with its Atlantic and Pacific coasts,
provide access to other areas of the
world.