The canal proved it’s value from the start becuase the route linked the Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes opening the western part of the state and the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the American Midwest, Middle West, or simply the Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It was officially named the North Central Region by the …
How did the Erie Canal affect the Midwest?
The Erie Canal opened the Midwest to settlement. By providing a direct water route to the Midwest, the canal triggered large-scale emigration to the sparsely populated frontiers of western New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois.
What opened the Midwest to settlement?
The Erie Canal opened the Midwest to settlement. 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.
Who built the Erie Canal in 1817?
The Erie Canal, 363 miles long with 82 locks from Albany on the Hudson to Buffalo on Lake Erie, was built by the state of New York from 1817 to 1825. The Erie Canal, opened in 1825, tied New York City and its port to Buffalo and the westward-expanding country.
Where does the Erie Canal connect the Great Lakes?
SOURCES The Erie Canal is a 363-mile waterway that connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River in upstate New York. The channel, which traverses New York state from Albany to Buffalo on Lake Erie, was considered an engineering marvel when it first opened in 1825.
See more
Did the Erie Canal open western regions to settlement?
In effect, the canal accelerated the settlement of the Great Lakes region, the westward expansion of the United States, and the economic ascendency of New York State. It has been called "The Nation's First Superhighway."
How did the Erie Canal help the Midwest?
The Erie Canal provided a direct water route from New York City to the Midwest, triggering large-scale commercial and agricultural development—as well as immigration—to the sparsely populated frontiers of western New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and points farther west.
How did the Erie Canal changed settlement patterns?
It facilitated and shaped the course of settlement of the North- east, Midwest, and Great Plains, knit together the Atlantic Seaboard with the area west of the Appalachian Mountains, solidified New York City's place as the young nation's principal seaport and commercial center, and became a central element forging the ...
What did the opening of the Erie Canal do?
The completion of the Erie Canal spurred the first great westward movement of American settlers, gave access to the rich land and resources west of the Appalachians and made New York the preeminent commercial city in the United States.
What are 3 important facts about the Erie Canal?
Fast FactsJUST THE FACTSNumber of locks, 182583Number of locks, present day57Elevation change, Albany to Buffalo571 feetCanal dimensions, 1825 Original Erie4 ft deep x 40 ft wide; locks 90 ft long13 more rows
What two regions of the United States did the Erie Canal connect together?
Answer - B - The Erie Canal connected the West to the Northeast. Key Takeaway: The Erie Canal was built in 1817-1825 and stretched from Albany to Buffalo, therefore connecting New York City (and thereby, the world) to the Midwest via the Great Lakes.
How did the Erie Canal help the United States grow?
The Erie Canal was then proposed and created as an efficient transportation lane, lowering the cost of shipping and increasing trade, spreading machinery and manufactured goods, making the United States more economically independent and establishing some of the country's most prominent cities.
What are the two economic effects of the Erie Canal?
What Are the two economic effects of the Erie Canal? City Expansion and Goods traveling on it.
What impact did the National Road and Erie Canal have on the United States?
How would the National Road and the Erie Canal eventually contribute to the growth of the US economy? To the westward expansion of trade and settlements? Western migration was easier with the Eerie canal, gave farmers access to fertile land and resources, and products could move back east as well.
When did the Erie Canal open?
Built between 1817 and 1825, the original Erie Canal traversed 363 miles from Albany to Buffalo. It was the longest artificial waterway and the greatest public works project in North America. The canal put New York on the map as the Empire State—the leader in population, industry, and economic strength.
What important waterway was opened with the Erie Canal?
The completion in 1825 of the Erie Canal (below), connecting Lake Erie with the Hudson River, was an event of major importance in Michigan history because it greatly facilitated the transportation of passengers and freight between the eastern seaboard and Michigan ports.
Why was the Erie Canal important for Michigan?
The canal allowed settlers to travel to Michigan much more easily and quickly than a journey over land. Ward says those settlers could bring everything they would need to start a farmstead, such as farm equipment and livestock, through the canal.
How did the Erie Canal help the United States grow?
The Erie Canal was then proposed and created as an efficient transportation lane, lowering the cost of shipping and increasing trade, spreading machinery and manufactured goods, making the United States more economically independent and establishing some of the country's most prominent cities.
How did the Erie Canal impact the economy?
The economic value of the Erie Canal is immeasurable. It allowed New York City to establish a trade position and become one of the world's dominant commercial centers. People and products moved West, creating a market for produce in the Midwest. Populations boomed.
How did the Erie Canal affect Detroit?
The Erie Canal heralded much of that change, change that would bring an influx of settlers from New England westward, result in statehood for Michigan, and forge connections to the commercial interests in New York City that would have lasting influence on Detroit.
How did the Erie Canal help factories in the Northeast?
It enabled raw materials to be shipped from the center of the country to the factories in the Northeast and also allowed manufactured goods to be shipped to the growing Midwest. By the late-1800s canals were overtaken by railroads as the most important form of transportation.
What was the impact of the Erie Canal on the construction of the canals?
Within a decade of the opening of the Erie Canal, tolls paid by barges had paid back the construction debt. The Erie Canal’s commercial success, coupled with the engineering knowledge gained in its building , led to the construction of other canals across the United States.
What was the purpose of the Erie Canal?
Author: Christopher Klein. 1. The Erie Canal opened the Midwest to settlement. 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. By providing a direct water route to the Midwest, the canal triggered large-scale ...
What religions were born along the Erie Canal?
Kelly says that apprehension sparked an evangelical religious revival in the 1820s and 1830s along the canal route as well as the birth of religions such as Adventism and Mormonism. “Many people don’t realize Mormonism started right on the Erie Canal since it’s so associated with Utah,” Kelly says. It was along the canal route in 1823 that Joseph Smith claimed to have been visited by a Christian angel named Moroni and where in 1830 he published the Book of Mormon and founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Like Smith himself, many of the religion’s early followers were drawn from the underclass who missed out on the prosperity brought to some by the canal. The new waterway, though, proved to be a 19th-century “information superhighway” that aided the spread of the new religion.
How did the Erie Canal help the economy?
The Erie Canal helped to launch the consumer economy. In addition to providing an economic boost by allowing the transport of goods at one-tenth the previous cost in less than half the previous time, the Erie Canal led to a transformation of the American economy as a whole.
What transformed New York City into America's commercial capital?
3. The Erie Canal transformed New York City into America’s commercial capital.
How did the Erie Canal affect tourism?
The Erie Canal boosted the nascent tourism industry . The Erie Canal is purely a tourist attraction today, but it also attracted vacationers when it opened as well. Thousands of tourists, including Europeans such as Charles Dickens, flowed down the canal on excursions from New York City to Niagara Falls.
What was New Orleans before the Erie Canal?
Before the opening of the Erie Canal, New Orleans had been the only port city with an all-water route to the interior of the United States , and the few settlers in the Midwest had arrived mostly from the South. “Southerners had been moving up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers into southern Ohio and southern Indiana, ...
Why was the Erie Canal built?
It was built to create a navigable water route from New York City and the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, originally stretching for 363 miles (584 km) from the Hudson River in Albany to Lake Erie in Buffalo. Completed in 1825, it was the second-longest canal in the world (after the Grand Canal in China) and greatly enhanced the development and economy of the cities of New York, including Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and New York City, as well as the United States. This was in part due to the new ease of transport of salt and other goods, and industries that developed around those.
When was the Erie Canal enlarged?
It was enlarged between 1834 and 1862. The canal's peak year was 1855, when 33,000 commercial shipments took place. In 1918, the western part of the canal was enlarged to become part of the New York State Barge Canal, which also extended to the Hudson River running parallel to the eastern half of the Erie Canal.
What river runs through the Appalachian Mountains?
The Mohawk River (a tributary of the Hudson) rises near Lake Ontario and runs in a glacial meltwater channel just north of the Catskill range of the Appalachian Mountains, separating them from the geologically distinct Adirondacks to the north. The Mohawk and Hudson valleys form the only cut across the Appalachians north of Alabama. A navigable canal through the Mohawk Valley would allow an almost complete water route from New York City in the south to Lake Ontario and Lake Erie in the west. Via the canal and these lakes, other Great Lakes, and to a lesser degree, related rivers, a large part of the continent's interior (and many settlements) would be made well connected to the Eastern seaboard.
How were canal boats pulled?
Canal boats up to 3.5 feet (1.1 m) in draft were pulled by horses and mules walking on the towpath. The canal had one towpath, generally on the north side. When canal boats met, the boat with the right of way remained on the towpath side of the canal. The other boat steered toward the berm (or heelpath) side of the canal. The driver (or "hoggee", pronounced HO-gee) of the privileged boat kept his towpath team by the canalside edge of the towpath, while the hoggee of the other boat moved to the outside of the towpath and stopped his team. His towline would be unhitched from the horses, go slack, fall into the water and sink to the bottom, while his boat coasted with its remaining momentum. The privileged boat's team would step over the other boat's towline, with its horses pulling the boat over the sunken towline without stopping. Once clear, the other boat's team would continue on its way.
What is the Erie Canal?
The waterway today referred to as the Erie Canal is quite different from the nineteenth-century Erie Canal. More than half of the original Erie Canal was destroyed or abandoned during construction of the New York State Barge Canal in the early 20th century. The sections of the original route remaining in use were widened significantly, mostly west of Syracuse, with bridges rebuilt and locks replaced. It was called the Barge Canal at the time, but that name fell into disuse with the disappearance of commercial traffic and the increase of recreational travel in the later 20th century.
What did Ellicott realize about the canal?
Ellicott realized that a canal would add value to the land he was selling in the western part of the state. He later became the first canal commissioner. New York legislators became interested in the possibility of building a canal across New York in the first decade of the 19th century.
Why are there copies of canal passenger lists?
Because so many immigrants traveled on the canal, many genealogists have sought copies of canal passenger lists. Apart from the years 1827–1829, canal boat operators were not required to record passenger names or report them to the New York government. Some passenger lists survive today in the New York State Archives, and other sources of traveler information are sometimes available.
What was the success of the Erie Canal?
Its success propelled New York City into a major commercial centre and encouraged canal construction throughout the United States. In addition, construction of the canal served as a training ground for many of the engineers who built other American canals and railroads in the ensuing decades. Erie Canal Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Where was the Erie Canal dug?
Erie Canal, Lockport, New York. Work was undertaken by multiple contractors who agreed to dig small sections of the canal. Each contractor was then responsible for supplying equipment and for hiring, supervising, and paying his own workers. Using horses and manpower, the canal was dug across the state.
What was the first canal in the United States to connect western waterways with the Atlantic Ocean?
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. Construction began in 1817 and was completed in 1825. Its success propelled New York City into a major commercial centre ...
What was the first canal in the United States?
Erie Canal, historic waterway of the United States, connecting the Great Lakes with New York City via the Hudson River at Albany. 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. Construction began in 1817 and was completed in 1825. Its success propelled New York City into a major commercial centre and encouraged canal construction throughout the United States. In addition, construction of the canal served as a training ground for many of the engineers who built other American canals and railroads in the ensuing decades.
Why did the Governor of New York pour water from Lake Erie into the Atlantic Ocean?
New York Governor DeWitt Clinton pouring water from Lake Erie into the Atlantic Ocean to mark the completion of the Erie Canal.
How wide is the Erie Canal?
With a typical canal prism shape—12 metres (40 feet) wide on the top, 8.5 metres (28 feet) wide at the bottom, and 1.2 metres (4 feet) deep—the engineers patterned the Erie Canal after the Middlesex Canal in Massachusetts. The Erie required 83 locks, each made of stone, to move boats up and down the natural elevations.
How many locks were there in the Niagara Escarpment?
On the western side, the challenge was the Niagara Escarpment, a 23-metre (75-foot) rock ridge. Canal engineer Nathan B. Roberts designed a series of 10 locks, five levels with 2 locks side-by-side, to carry boats over this barrier.
When was the Erie Canal built?
Construction on the canal began, symbolically, on July 4th 1817. The first part of the Erie Canal to be built was the flat part stretching from Rome, NY to Utica, NY. This section of the canal did not require any locks. The first stage of the canal was an instant success.
What was the purpose of the Erie Canal?
The completion of the Erie canal would open the west for settlement and secure New York as the preeminent port in the United States, (since with the opening of the canal New York would be become the ultimate destination of the canal.) In 1817, Clinton convinced the New York State Legislature to appropriate $17 million to build the Erie Canal.
What was the Great Celebration of the Canal?
Its completion was toasted as the “Great Celebration”. Governor Clinton began his trip down the canal, with a cannon salute. As part of the celebration, cannons were placed along the length of the canal within earshot of each other. Cannons went off over the entire along the length of the canal, down the Hudson River.
How long was the canal in the Hudson River?
It linked Lake Erie and all the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and New York. Construction on the canal began in 1816. The canal spanned 363 miles, and its completion helped to speed up the development of the West.
How long was the Erie Canal?
The Erie Canal was planned to be 363 Miles (580km) long. It would need to rise 600 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. It was to be 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep, with a towpath built along the side. The longest canal in the United States at this time was 26 miles long.
What was the only way to move goods between the East Coast and the Great Lakes?
Until then the Erie Canal was the only way to move goods between the East Coast the Great Lakes and beyond. Even after the Erie railroad was completed the canal remained the least expensive way to move freight. The Erie Canal quickly exceeded its planned capacity, and was enlarged.
How much did the Erie Canal carry?
The Erie Canal lived up to the dreams of its promoters. It opened the west for settlement and commerce. Within a few years it had carried $15 million of commerce. This dollar value represented twice the amount of commerce that had gone down the Mississippi River.
Overview
Ambiguity in name
- Before the opening of the Erie Canal, New Orleans had been the only port city with an all-water route to the interior of the United States, and the few settlers in the Midwest had arrived mostly from the South. Southerners had been moving up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers into southern Ohio and southern Indiana, which did become sympathetic to sla...
Background
Proposals and logistics
Construction
Route
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing the costs of transporting people and goods across the Appalachians. In effect, the canal accelerated the settlement of the Great Lakes region, the westward expansion of the United States, and the economic ascendency of New York State. It …
Enlargements and improvements
The waterway today referred to as the Erie Canal is quite different from the nineteenth-century Erie Canal. More than half of the original Erie Canal was destroyed or abandoned during construction of the New York State Barge Canal in the early 20th century. The sections of the original route remaining in use were widened significantly, mostly west of Syracuse, with bridges rebuilt and locks replaced. It was called the Barge Canal at the time, but that name fell into disus…
Competition
Prior to the advent of railroads, water transport was the most cost-effective way to ship bulk goods. A mule can only carry about 250 pounds (110 kg), but can draw a barge weighing as much as 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg) along a towpath. In total, a canal could cut transport costs by about 95 percent.
In the early years of the United States, transportation of goods between the coastal ports and th…