Construction began at rome, new york on july 4, 1817. The trip through the erie canal and the mohawk valley was a pleasing feature of summer outings to thousands of americans from the country over. From 1817 to 1825 the erie canal was built from the albany. Dewitt clinton had just been elected governor of new york, and his determination to build the canal became legendary. Champlain connects hudson river with lake champlain. This waterway, called the erie canal and famous the world over, was opened october 26, 1825. Fiftyeight miles of the canal are put under contract during the year.
On october 26, 1825, the erie canal was in a navigable condition throughout its entire length, affording an uninterrupted passage from lake erie to tide water in the hudson. The erie canal 1825 paintings of carl rakeman about. It would run from buffalo to syracuse and the hudson river. Thank you for posting your question here at brainly. Two hundred years later, 2017, is the celebration of the bicentennial of this historic event. Traveling the erie canal, 1836 eyewitness to history. When it was completed in 1825, it was the first transportation route connecting the atlantic ocean and the great lakes that did not require the portage of craft over land. There were many people who thought the canal was a foolish idea, and it was derided as clintons big ditch or. West of troy, 83 canal locks were built to accommodate the 500foot rise in elevation. Originally, it ran 363 miles 584 km from the hudson river in albany to lake erie in buffalo. Important because it cut down nearly 95% of transportation costs and greatly improved the economy.
Laurent, department of economics, university of wisconsinwhitewater. A fleet of boats, led by governor dewitt clinton aboard the seneca chief sailed from buffalo to new york city in record timejust ten days. There were the legal knots that plagued the canal commission. On the morning of october 26, 1825, the first flotilla of canal boats bound for the seaboard left buffalo, starting at the signal of a cannon fired at the erie intake. The story of the eric canal is the story of industrial and economic progress between the war of 1812 and the civil war. It is simple enough for them to understand the basics of what the canal is all about. The commission to explore a route for a canal to lake erie and report, known as the erie canal commission, was a body created by the new york state legislature in 1810 to plan the erie canal.
This painting shows the seneca chief, the flagship of a flotilla making the maiden voyage down the erie canal. The erie canal museum, founded in 1962, seeks to keep erie canal history and heritage alive. There is section of the old canal in solvay that still has the remains of the original lock, the only one in the entire countrythere is a stretch in camillus that has a marker showing that this was the halfway point between lake erie and albany, and along that part of the canal, along the side there is a section of the original 4 foot deep clintons ditch. The state engineers department has furnished the following regarding the erie canal. Definitely more of a history book as opposed to an engineering book on how the canal was built, but definitely worth the read to realize the impact the canal had on society at the time. A collection of poems, essays, travelogues and fiction by major american and british writers about the erie canal. In 1826 a canal board, of which both the planning commissioners and the. Erie canalway national heritage corridor engineering. By the end of the year, about 15 miles of canal were completed.
Even the name middleport comes from our location midway between lockport and newport. Erie canalway national heritage corridor historical timeline. 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. The canal was 363 miles long, 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep. The erie canal the erie canal located in new york state. The artificial river reveals the human dimension of the story of the erie canal. The erie canal and the paradox of progress, 1817 1862. I think both books need to be read for a well rounded understanding of the erie canal and those involved in the event that altered the american landscape.
After more than two years of digging, the 425mile erie canal was opened on october 26, 1825, by governor. While some people thought the canal was a good idea, other people were against it. Although it is a worthwhile read, to me this book is more of a political history of new york state from 1810 to 1830 than a book on the building of the erie canal. Middleport grows with the erie canal middleport ny. It is simple enough for them to understand the basics of what the canal is. Between 1819 and 1825 sections of the erie canal were completed culminating in the much discussed marriage between the waters of lake erie and a multitude of other interior lakes, rivers, and smaller canals and the hudson river. The start of the building of the erie canal in 1817 until its official opening in 1825 helped to spur the growth of our little community. Construction began in 1817 and was completed in 1825. Wright resigned from the erie canal project in 1827 and served as chief engineer of the chesapeake and ohio canal from 1828 to 1831 and of the st. Proposed in 1808 and completed in 1825, the canal links the waters of lake erie in the west to the hudson river in the east. Hydrology and environmental aspects of erie canal 181799. 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.
A picturesque celebration of the wedding of the waters followed the completion of the work. The boat carried mules and people from albany to buffalo. The locks at lockport, where the current double 24 12 foot high locks are adjacent to one sequence of the original 5 lock pairs. This is a cute book for children to learn about the erie canal. Jul 14, 2017 the erie canal was conceived to alleviate this problem. Getting the canal built building such a long canal was a huge undertaking in the early 1800s. Tom grasso, president of the canal society of new york state, takes us on a tour of the canal, past and present. After more than two years of digging, the 425mile erie canal was.
The erie canal allowed people to ride steamboats and travel to. After much debate, the legislature approved the building of the canal. Erie canal completion medal in white metal, 1826 cowans. It was built to create a navigable water route from new york city and the atlantic ocean to the great lakes. The canal that made america wcny, central new yorks flagship public broadcaster, announced june 29 that david muir, abc world news tonight anchor, will narrate wcnys newest documentary erie. It benefitted new york because the canal made it possible for the first time to travel entirely by water between new york city and the great lakes gotham 330. The boats used on the erie canal between 1817 and 1830 measured 61 x 7 x 3 12 feet and had a capacity of 30 tons. The first 15 miles 24 km stretching from rome to utica took two years to complete delays were encountered due to having to clear so many trees. Jul 27, 2019 west of troy, 83 canal locks were built to accommodate the 500foot rise in elevation.
One of the important events during his presidency was the construction of the erie canal. Jun 27, 20 the start of the building of the erie canal in 1817 until its official opening in 1825 helped to spur the growth of our little community. When the federal government concluded that the project was too ambitious to undertake, the state of new york took on the task of carving 363 miles of canal through the wilderness with nothing but the muscle power of men and horses. The erie canal changes the face of commerce for young america. Langbein abstract as the first major water project in the united states, the old erie canal provides an example of the hydrological and environmental consequences of water development.
The canal allowed farm products from the great lakes region to flow east. The erie canal was conceived to alleviate this problem. The canals opening ignited the first great western migration. It is eminently suitable for framing and permanent display in a library or study. An artificial waterway constructed from 1817 1825 that opened huge transport abilities and led to a waterway that goes to the great lakes. Carol sheriffs extensive, innovative archival research shows the varied responses of ordinary peoplefarmers, businessmen, government officials, tourists, workersto this major environmental.
In 202014 and 2019, three of the original locks were restored to operating condition, with plans to restore the other two in the works. Ground was broken for the erie canal at rome, new york on july 4, 1817. Erie canal, historic waterway of the united states, connecting the great lakes with new york city via the hudson river at albany. In those early days it was often referred to, in derision, as clintons big ditch. The erie canal the erie canal located in new york state and. This book had a faster pace and told more about the average worker than bond of union, but provides excellent insights to the men, such as dewitt clinton behind the project. The building of the erie canal 18181825 by william h. In fact, during the first half of the construction period 18171821, the overwhelming majority of laborers were the families and hands who worked the small farms through which the canal line passed. In 1817 a canal fund led by commissioners of the canal fund was established to oversee the funding of construction of the canal. A collection of poems, essays, travelogues and fiction by major american and british writers about the. A canal is an artificial waterway that is constructed to allow the passage of boats inland carrying produce and passengers. Along the erie canal, with tom grasso a film by pacho lane.
Thus in eight years artificial communications four hundred twentyeight miles in length had been opened between the more important inland waters and the commercial emporium. Begun in 1817 and opened in its entirety 1825, the erie canal is considered the engineering marvel of the 19th century. Carol sheriffs extensive, innovative archival research shows the varied responses of ordinary peoplefarmers, businessmen, government officials, tourists, workers to this major environmental, social, and cultural transformation in the early life of the republic. The obverse depicting the legend union of erie with the atlantic above the figures of pan and neptune, a cornucopia, and a lighthouse and sea over r. The erie canal was 363 miles long when it was first built. It describes what a trip on a boat would be like on the erie canal. 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. Johnsons landmark book a shopkeepers millennium explored the social context of religious revivalism in the booming erie canal town of rochester, new york, linking it to the residential separation and mutual antagonism of the emerging class relations of early industrial capitalism. The massive job was begun in 1817 and completed in 1825. This story was based on a song about the erie canal.
For too many people, the erie canal was simply an artificial waterway that opened the american west back then to the atlantic, and, in the process made new york city a business entrepot. The erie canal and the paradox of progress, 18171862 digs a lot deeper to reveal the complexities of clintons big ditch. The erie canal for kids john quincy adams was the 6th american president who served in office from march 4, 1825 to march 4, 1829. On july 4, 1817, laborers began to dig the erie canal in rome, new york. It was started in the middle of the state because the terrain was level and there was no need to build locks from rome to. Mar 05, 2015 the obverse depicting the legend union of erie with the atlantic above the figures of pan and neptune, a cornucopia, and a lighthouse and sea over r. Oct 26, 2016 the erie canal changes the face of commerce for young america. From 1817 to 1825 the erie canal was built from the albany area through utica and syracuse then just south of rochester to buffalo. Erie canal may 17, 1821 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. There were the engineering problems to be surmounted. Despite being scorned in some quarters as the big ditch or clintons folly after. Fotowerks, printed on parchment stock, this official new york state historic map depict in minute detail the erie canal as originally built in 1825. The erie canal, located in new york state and built from 18171825, is 363 miles long running from the hudson river connecting to the great lakes in upstate new york.
Apush unit 3 ids monroe 18171825 flashcards quizlet. Building the canal required major innovations in engineering. From albany to buffalo, and from 1825 into the 21st century, the erie canal has made american history. Construction began on the erie canal on july 4, 1817 in rome, new york. On july 4th, 1817, ground was broken for the erie canal at rome, n. The erie canal by peter spier meet your next favorite book. The erie canal and the paradox of progress, 18171862.
It was the dream of dewitt clinton, who had become governor of new york. The erie canal and the paradox of progress, 18171862 digs a lot deeper to reveal the complexities of. Particularly interesting portions of the original clintons ditch canal and the enlarged erie canal include. 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. When clinton became governor of the state, he pushed through legislation funding the construction of the canal clintons big ditch also dubbed clintons folly was born. 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. Devoted to the history of the erie canal in general, as told through images old prints, paintings, maps and postcards, traces recent photographs of the remains of old erie canal sites and structures, and a tour a journey from buffalo in the west to albany in the east by way of a clickable map of the erie canal path. The available record shows that the project aroused en. Martin morganstein, development director of the museum, and joan h. The plans for building the canal were delayed by the war of 1812. Erie canal by erie canal museum, martin morganstein and. Erie canal laborers in popular imagination, gangs of immigrant irish laborers built the erie canal.
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