What was the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers?
Q: What was the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers?
A: The U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers was a group of hand-picked graduates from the United States Military Academy at West Point established by the United States Congress in 1838.
Q: What was their main purpose?
A: The Corps of Topographical Engineers' main purpose was to map and make military surveys for routes to the Pacific.
Q: What was the historical significance of the Corps of Topographical Engineers?
A: They were at the center of the westward expansion of the United States between the War of 1812 and the American Civil War. They mapped the frontier regions of the West and encouraged Americans to move into those areas.
Q: What types of things did the Corps of Topographical Engineers layout?
A: They laid out trails, roads, railroad routes and waterways.
Q: When were the functions of the Corps of Topographical Engineers transferred to the Army Corps of Engineers?
A: The functions of the Corps of Topographical Engineers were transferred to the Army Corps of Engineers during the Civil War.
Q: Who composed the Corps of Topographical Engineers?
A: The Corps of Topographical Engineers was made up of only officers who were hand-picked graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Q: What was the primary role of the Corps of Topographical Engineers?
A: The Corps of Topographical Engineers' primary role was to create maps and conduct surveys for military routes to the Pacific.
