Larry,
The quickest way from New York to Virginia, during Colonial times, was by a sailing ship.
But there were also ships that went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Later there was the New
York City to Philadelphia Post Road.
Philadelphia was a critical transportation hub then, like today. From Philadelphia there
were many road sections and trails that led westward and toward the south. And when I say
road, it is in reference to a very primitive road mostly passable by some type of wagon
only during the dry season. Trails were foot paths made by animals and humans over the
centuries. The later had many meanders and directional signs were pretty much
non-existent.
The roads out of Philadelphia, improved trails in reality, had many names such as the
Philadelphia Wagon Road that led west ward. One was the Southern Road (aka the King’s
Road) that led down past Fredericksburg toward Petersburg, Virginia where it branched with
the central road being called the Fall Line Road. A major branch westward became known as
the Upper Road that went into Western North Carolina. And another major branch went
coastal through the Carolinas down into Georgia.
Another famous road was called the Great Indian Warpath. It went south westwardly from
Philadelphia, PA through Lancaster (aka the Lancaster Pike section or Road) before
dropping into Virginia via Harrisonburg, Winchester and Roanoke before ending in
Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Virginia section was later known as the Great Valley Road that
went through the Shenandoah Valley. The GVR had a branch that went through the Carolinas
down into Georgia and another branch that went toward Knoxville, TN.
Later came many canals and railroads during the post-Colonial period. All had an impact of
migration from the New York area to the Virginias.
Over time, the various road sections got new names and many became the paved highways and
freeways of today.
I hope this helps. See links below.
John R. Carpenter
La Mesa, CA USA
Carpenter Cousins Project
http://carpentercousins.com
Some helpful links include:
Google Maps – American Colonial migration routes
https://www.google.com/search?q=American+Colonial+migration+routes&tb...
Historical trails and roads in the United States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_trails_and_roads_in_the_United_States
Cyndi's List – Migration Routes, Roads & Trails
https://www.cyndislist.com/migration/general/
Early American Roads and Trails by Beverly Whitaker, MA
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gentutor/trails.html
Historic American Trails, Roads and Migration Routes
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tqpeiffer/Documents/Ame...