His depictions of life along the erie canal suggest a busy, thriving population, and his historical notes at the end add many practical details from the canals beginning in 1817 to its end in 1917. Erie canal by erie canal museum, martin morganstein and joan. Dewitt clinton had just been elected governor of new york, and his determination to build the canal became legendary. The erie canal sources source for information on the erie canal. Western farmers were able to ship their produce directly to american markets without having to go through canadian waters. What national advantages did new york state have that made building the erie canal easier. Fortunately i stumbled upon the erie canal, by ralph andrist, and learned the fascinating history and importance of the erie canal. Governor dewitt clinton poured water from lake erie into the atlantic ocean in new york for the opening of the canal. The canal, stretching from new york to lake erie, opened up the west in the early 1800s. Classroom ideas additional resources about the new york state canals. Erie canal road trips the new york state canal system is within a days drive 400 miles of 14 states, two canadian providences as well as toronto, canadas biggest city, new york city, the nations largest city and washington d. Individuals looking for an overview of the building and significance of the. You bet your life i wouldnt part with sal, fifteen years on the erie canal.
And every inch of the way i know from albany to buffalo. Opened in 1825, the canal proved so commercially viable that construction of an. The erie canal is a waterway in new york that runs about 363 miles 584 km from albany, new york, on the hudson river to buffalo, new york, at lake erie, completing a navigable water route from the atlantic ocean to the great lakes. The new york geographic alliance asked me to plan a very exciting program for the summer of 2007 called the grand canal experience 2007. They also came up with a contraption by which one man could pull. It was built to create a navigable water route from new york city and the atlantic ocean to the great lakes. The building of the erie canal was the engineering marvel that unleashed the growth of the young nation that was the united states. Aug 01, 2001 the erie canal museum, founded in 1962, seeks to keep erie canal history and heritage alive. In 1825, governor dewitt clinton sailed the length of the erie canal to open it officially. Kendalls illustrated history brings into focus the enormous geographic and social impact of this stunning technological feat. Kehillah ap us history notes mcgraw hill, chapter 10 summery. Erie canal have been discussed as a class, ask them to put their thinking caps on and begin thinking about why the erie canal was created, and why it spansruns where it does. The 363mile canal that runs from albany to buffalo, connecting the atlantic ocean and the great lakes. So marked was the success of the erie canal that a veritable frenzy for canal building spread over the whole country, which manifested itself in new york state in the surveying of hundreds of miles of proposed routes and in the building of several lateral canals, six within the first decade after the erie was.
After the 363mile canal fully opened in 1825, it would. As part of the nys curriculum, teaching about the new york state canal system can be a fun way to explore the past and discover how the erie canal shaped not only new york state, but america. The plans for building the canal were delayed by the war of 1812. Erie canalway national heritage corridor engineering. So marked was the success of the erie canal that a veritable frenzy for canalbuilding spread over the whole country, which manifested itself in new york state in the surveying of hundreds of miles of proposed routes and in the building of several lateral canals, six within the first decade after the erie was. The erie canal was built to connect the waters of lake erie in the west and the hudson river in the east.
Erie canal scribd read books, audiobooks, and more. Very descriptive account of one our nations most significant early modes of. Erie canal lock 9 is an interesting structure which is a combination lock, dam, and truss bridge which carries state route 103 over the mohawk rivererie canal. Part of the enduring legacy of the erie canal is the architecture of villages, towns, and cities all along the waterway. Transportation networks then were all but nonexistent, being restricted to the immediate coast and the rivers and streams large enough to handle shallow draft vessels. That, for the purpose of demonstrating the joy which the citizens of geneva. Horses, walking on paths, were used to pull boats through the canal. Bestselling author peter bernstein presents the story of the canal s construction against the larger tableau of america in the first quartercentury of the 1800s. Ohio and erie canal by boone triplett arcadia publishing books. Learn from erie canal experts like doug gelbert and alvin f. Through the war of 1812, clinton pushed for the development of the canal. And while washingtons canal was a failure, citizens of new york thought they might be able to construct a. Erie canal archives page 7 of 19 the new york history blog. Seeing history on the erie canal is now available on amazon.
Many upstate residents pushed for the abolition of slavery. What was the historical significance of the erie canal. If the works listed are available on the web or have a related web page, that fact is noted in the description. It linked the navigable part of the hudson river in eastern new york state with the great lakes. It is a canal in new york state, united states, that runs from the hudson river to lake erie, connecting the great lakes with the atlantic ocean it cut transport costs into what was then wilderness by about 90%. The canal was 363 miles 584 kilometers long, 40 feet 12 m wide, and 4 feet deep 1. The erie canal made it an eastwest expansion in our country rather than from the south.
The erie canal has been featured in many works of fiction and nonfiction. The erie canal reader poems, essays, travelogues, and fiction by major american and british writersdashcaptures the colorful landscape and life along the erie canal from its birth in the new york frontier, through its heyday as a passage of culture and commerce, to its present decline into disuse. It is the story of a remarkable achievement of the early american republic, now 200 years ago. Our job is to help paint the picture of this city and region we live in, said stetson, telling how the canal impacted it, changed it and created it. Erie canal apush questions may cover a number of topics associated with the canal, including the reason for its construction and location, as well as its impact on trade and migration. Originally, it ran 363 miles 584 km from the hudson river in albany to lake erie in buffalo. The canal also made an immense contribution to the wealth and importance of new york city, buffalo and new york state. The building of the erie canal, like the construction of the brooklyn bridge and the panama canal, is one of the greatest and most riveting stories of american ingenuity. Cregg, volunteer guide and researcher at the museum, have carefully selected from the museums extensive collection over two hundred images that depict life on the erie canal. The erie canal has been a major focus of my life since 2006. Erie canal locks erie canal, oswego canal and champlain. The canal system was designated a national historic landmark in 2016. It was 40 feet wide and had a path called a towpath for horses and mules to walk along as they pulled the barges.
Personal anecdotes and an engaging narrative describe life on the canal in. On october 25, 1825, the entire length of the erie canal was complete. Erie canal archives page 2 of 19 the new york history blog. The cruise goes through the history of the canal and also takes passengers through lock 18. Jun 15, 2007 the erie canal tells the story of one of americas most ambitious publicworks projects. School resources classroom ideas additional resources about the new york state canals. Martin morganstein, development director of the museum, and joan h. Construction began in 1817 and was completed in 1825.
Aug 25, 2014 inspired by the erie canal in new york, the state of ohio began surveying routes in 1822 for its own grand internal improvement project. What physical obstacles did the state have to overcome, and how was this accomplished. Many farmers moved fr new york state, the state of new york was for a long time a leader in industry and economic prosperity. Before the presentation, exhibit curator and senior historian brad utter will lead a themed exhibit tour of enterprising waters. Giddap there, sal, weve passed that lock, well make rome fore six oclock, so one more trip and then well go right straight back to buffalo. It was 40 feet wide and had a path called a towpath for horses and. Transportation to michigan by water was dangerous, unreliable, and fraught with discomfort. The canal consisted of 85 locks to manage a 500 foot 150 meter rise in elevation from the hudson river to buffalo. John fitch 17431798 was granted a patent for a steamboat on august 26, 1791, the invention of steam power made it far easier to travel along the rivers. This book was recommended to me and it exceeded my expectations. Landmark books the authors retelling of stories of the methods of construction. With the opening of the entire erie canal in 1825, a call for more canals and other internal improvements arose from all over new york state. Ive got a mule, her name is sal, fifteen years on the erie canal. The new york state legislature passed a bill to pay for the canal.
This selected bibliography is only a brief sampling. Isthmian canal commission and a push from president theodore roosevelt, the u. Lawrence seaway in 1959 even further reduced commercial traffic on the erie canal. In april 1817 the new york legislature authorized funding for the construction of a 364mile canal to link albany on the hudson river with buffalo on lake erie. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of approximately 565 ft.
Prior to the construction of the erie canal, most of the united states population remained pinned between the atlantic ocean to the east and the appalachian mountains to the west. Proposals for its construction were aimed at improving access to the west by creating a cheaper, faster, and safer route for the transport of people and cargo. Erie canal by erie canal museum, martin morganstein and. The erie canal in new york states history and future. It was significant because it connected lake erie and the great lakes system to the hudson river, and thereby gave the western states direct access to the. The canal, considered a marvel of the modern world at the time, allowed western farmers to ship surplus crops to sell in the north and allowed northern manufacturers to ship finished goods to sell in the west. A walking tour of buffalo, new york and disaster on lake erie for free with a free 30day trial. The erie canal, started 200 years ago, transformed a young. The full text can be found in the historical documents section. Jul 03, 2017 a canal boat goes through lock 2 of the erie canal in waterford, new york, in 2008. In the 1800s, farmers there were susceptible to revivalist and tent rallies by the pentecostals religious groups. Nathaniel hawthorne wrote poetically in the canal boat about his trip on the erie canal in 1835. Skeptics claimed the project would end up as nothing more than an expensive failure, good only to line the pockets of politicians and bankrupt the state.
The barge canal is as much a modernization of the erie canal and its. A canal boat goes through lock 2 of the erie canal in waterford, new york, in 2008. Ohio and erie canal by boone triplett arcadia publishing. What were the other canals in the erie canal system. Boats then use the canal to go from place to place. The book is well written, an easy read, and contained enough information for me to gain a true appreciation of the project as well as an insight into the politics and life during the early decades of america. The erie canal and the paradox of progress, 18171862. The idea of building a canal from the east coast to the interior of north america was proposed by george washington, who actually attempted such a thing in the 1790s. An erie canal cruise company, based in herkimer, operates from midmay until midoctober with daily cruises. There were many people who thought the canal was a foolish idea, and it was derided as clintons big ditch or. Not only do canal towns share similarities in layout and orientation to the canal, in most cases their architecture reflects the prosperity that characterized upstate new york from 1825 through the end of the 19th century. I love peter spiers picture books, and this is no exception. There is a lot of context about canal building in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, so the actual construction of the erie canal comes toward the end of the book.
Ground was broken for the erie canal 200 years ago. Pulldown tiered beds folded from the walls, and additional cots could be hung from hooks in the ceiling. Taking advantage of the mohawk river gap in the appalachian mountains, the erie canal, 363 miles 584 km long, was the first canal in the united states to connect western waterways with the atlantic ocean. People in many legislative districts thought that if the state could build a canal that had already shown its great value, it could also provide infrastructure projects to help regional economies to connect with the artificial river that joined the. Facilitating travel to michigan regardless of the prevailing views of michigans land and climate, a more important factor is delaying any largescale movement into michigan in the immediate postwar years was the difficulty in reaching the territory. Overhead aqueducts were used to allow streams to cross the canal. The erie canal played an important part in the history of americas early western movement. Route 103, the shortest state route in new york, connects route 5 and 5s.
Bestselling author peter bernstein presents the story of the canals construction against the larger tableau of america in the first quartercentury of the 1800s. National significance and historical context erie canalway. Originally proposed in 1808, it stretched across new york state, going all the way to buffalo on lake erie. The erie canal museum is also currently featuring an artistled lecture and workshop series called reflections on eries waters. This story originally appeared in the newengland magazine, no. What was the significance of the erie canal, and when did it. The erie canal is a destination for tourists from all over the world, and has inspired guidebooks dedicated to exploration of the waterway. Two oxen straining to pull a heavy load in a twowheeled cart. Part of a scale in a weighlock used to weigh canal boats.
Erie canal, historic waterway of the united states, connecting the great lakes with new york city via the hudson river at albany. Constructed from 18171825, the erie canal was a groundbreaking project that. The erie canal tells the story of one of americas most ambitious publicworks projects. Erie canal, in the early nineteenth century, available farmland along the east coast of the united states decreased as the population grew. Apush unit 4 vocab religious movements flashcards quizlet.
He is happy to see that new york state is finally appreciating the significance of the erie canal. The erie canal is a canal in new york, united states that is part of the eastwest, crossstate. Dewitt clinton, new york state built the waterway that opened the west to settlement and made new york city the center of finance and commerce. Before steamboats came along, horses had the charge of pulling cargo along the canals. Shes a good old worker and a good old pal, fifteen years on the erie canal. The erie canal museum, founded in 1962, seeks to keep erie canal history and heritage alive. How did this system work to the advantage of new york city. Explore eight ways that the erie canal, which married the waters of the atlantic ocean and the great lakes, altered the course of american history.
The new york state museum is set to hold a book talk and gallery tour, focusing on the erie canal, on wednesday, september 25th, from 6 to 8 pm. Term applied to the region of western new york along the erie canal, and refers to the religious fervor of its inhabitants. Have the students read the following article you may wish to print the article or simply have them read it from the smart board and see if it can help them answer the. The initial construction of the erie canal between 1817 and 1825, and successive campaigns of improvements and enlargements throughout the 19th century, served as a training ground for many of americas most active and productive engineers. Inspired by the erie canal in new york, the state of ohio began surveying routes in 1822 for its own grand internal improvement project. Now, new yorks canal system has a new life as a venue for water and landbased recreation and learning about our nations heritage.
We invited teachers from all across the state to participate in a weeklong geography institute along the eries path. The bridge, e16, known locally as the lock 9 bridge, connects rotterdam junction and the town of glenville, about eight miles west of schenectady. Just eight years after construction began, workers completed the canal early and on budget. The erie canal was one of the largest and most controversial construction projects undertaken in the united states during the nineteenth century. Senator and the mayor of new york and also its sixth governor. Boats could then go down the hudson river to get to new york city. The erie canal is the place where the young united states, and its religiosity, ceased looking to the east and the past europe and new england and began looking west and to the future. A watercarrying bridge built to help the canal cross over a river or a low valley. The canal had a tremendous impact on the economy of new york and.
The erie canal was a waterway that connected the east coast to the midwest by creating a navigable route between lake erie and the hudson river. Background history the residents of new york first started to discuss the possibility of building a canal that linked the atlantic coast and new york to the great lakes in the late 1700s. New yorks erie canal in the south hall of the huxley theatre. Wed better look for a job, old gal, fifteen years on the erie canal. Completed a decade later, the 309milelong ohio and erie canal connected cleveland, akron, massillon, dover, roscoe, newark, columbus, circleville, chillicothe, waverly, and portsmouth.
Erie canal is from buffalo to hudson river to ocean significance. What was the significance of the erie canal, and when did. A canal is a path that is dug out and filled with water. Erie canal, importance of the as we all know, the original pioneers for inland and western united states came from the colonies spread along the atlantic seaboard. The basic canal was finished by 1825, though it was expanded several times during the next century. The erie canal is a canal in new york, united states that is part of the eastwest, crossstate route of the new york state canal system formerly known as the new york state barge canal. Jul 07, 2016 the erie canal made it an eastwest expansion in our country rather than from the south. A canal between the new york cities of albany and buffalo, completed in 1825. The erie canal, new york state, and the united states.
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