The history of America is written over every mile of the National Road in Pennsylvania. The original National Road can be traced to Native American trails. George Washington, Gen. Edward Braddock, and James Burd converted portions of Native American trails into a roadway suitable for military purposes and westward expansion. Then came the National Road, built in the early 1800s to accomodate increased traffic traveling westward on the existing road. It was the first federally built road in the United States. Alternately called the National Pike and the Cumberland Road, the National Road was overlaid by segments of U.S. Route 40 in the 1920s. Today, the National Road is designated as a National Scenic Byway as well as an All-American Road.