Inquiry: Eric Jaffe: THE KING S BEST HIGHWAY: THE LOST HISTORY OF THE BOSTON POST ROAD

The first great highway system in the United States was the Boston Post Road, a network of two roads that connected Boston to New York City. Beginning as a hodgepodge of Native American trails, by the early 1700s, this was the only connection that towns like Providence, Springfield and Worcester had with the big cities. The nation’s first regular newspaper was delivered to the taverns along its route, and news of the Revolution was spread rapidly to the towns found along its muddy roads. Then came canal fever, the railroads, the bicycle craze and eventually the automobile, all of which forever affected the towns and cities along this road. Tonight on Inquiry, we welcome ERIC JAFFE, writer and editor, who talks about his latest fascinating history of transportation THE KING’S BEST HIGHWAY: THE LOST HISTORY OF THE BOSTON POST ROAD: THE ROUTE THAT MADE AMERICA.