Question

Why was the Cumberland Gap important to westward expansion?
A.
It was the halfway point between western settlements and the East Coast in the 1800s.
B.
It was used through the 1800s by explorers and settlers as a way to get through the Appalachian Mountains.
C.
It marked the source of the Cumberland River, which settlers used to get to Middle Tennessee in the 1700s.
D.
It marked the southernmost point of the Southwest Territory, which was created in 1790.

Answer 1

B. It was a natural pass through the Appalachian Mountains used by explorers and settlers (e.g., via the Wilderness Road) to move west into Kentucky and Tennessee.