The Erie Canal

First proposed in 1808 and completed in 1825, the Erie canal links the waters of Lake Erie in the western part of New York State to the Hudson River in the east. An engineering marvel when it was built, some called it the Eighth Wonder of the World.

In order to open the country west of the Appalachian Mountains to settlers and to offer a cheap and safe way to carry produce to a market, the construction of a canal was proposed as early as 1768. However, those early proposals would connect the Hudson River with Lake Ontario near Oswego. It was not until 1808 that the state legislature funded a survey for a canal that would connect to Lake Erie. Many merchants in New York City were concerned about the increase competition from rival port cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Boston. A canal in upstate New York would make it possible for New York City to have access to raw materials and cash crops from the Midwest that could be sold and exported to Europe. Finally, on July 4, 1817, Governor Dewitt Clinton broke ground for the construction of the canal. In those early days, it was often sarcastically referred to as "Clinton's Big Ditch". When finally completed on October 26, 1825, it was the engineering marvel of its day. It included 18 aqueducts to carry the canal over ravines and rivers, and 83 locks, with a rise of 568 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. It was 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide, and floated boats carrying 30 tons of freight. A ten foot wide towpath was built along the bank of the canal for horses, mules, and oxen led by a boy boat driver or "hoggee".

From the opening days of the canal in 1825, thousands of people from America and Europe took advantage of the new inland waterway and its faster, smoother mode of travel. Thousands more were employed on the canal operating cargo boats that transported goods such as salt, flour, or textiles between Buffalo and New York City. By 1845, over 2 million tons were being shipped along the canal route. Many of the sights and sounds of the Erie Canal were recorded by those who worked and traveled on it during its heyday. Travelers wrote about their experiences and impressions in private journals or in travelogues that were then published. Artists created images of the canal in prints and paintings, and popular magazines like Harper's Weekly and Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper ran stories and printed canal images throughout the nineteenth century.

The success of the Erie Canal would inspire other canal projects across the United States. In 1827, Ohio completes a canal that connected the Ohio River to Lake Erie, making it possible for Ohio farmers to reach the market places of New York City and New Orleans. The Ohio Canal brought economic expansion and a large population increase for the state.

For businessmen, merchants, and farmers the canals became a vital necessity for economic growth by reducing the costs of shipping products to market. Lowering the costs means an increase in profits producing growth.

Tonight for Homework:

Read and Markup the Lowell Experiment Reading.