Why was the construction of the cumberland road in 1818 controversial?
many people believed the cumberland road would draw industry away from the north to the southern states.
many americans believed the cumberland road was not needed to promote settlement in the northwest territory.
some people thought it was unfair to use federal money to build a road that would only benefit a small number of americans.
opponents feared the cumberland road would destroy the economies of towns along the potomac and ohio rivers.

Some people thought it was unfair to use federal money to build a road that would only benefit a small number of Americans.

The Cumberland Road was constructed as part of the American System following the war of 1812.

The Cumberland Road was constructed in an effort to ease transportation from the east to new western states (ex. Ohio, Indiana). Under the American System, tax dollars were used to build infrastructure that would help build an industrial system. Many Southerners were opposed to the use of tax dollars for projects that only helped one area of the country. This is especially true because Southerners paid the bulk of the taxes in the US at the time.

disease was the number one killer of native peoples. they had had little exposure to the diseases of europe. this led to some villages being almost completely wiped out and some tribes destroyed.