Ohio and erie canal waterway, united states britannica. It is the story of a remarkable achievement of the early american republic, now 200 years ago. New yorks canal system has been in continuous operation since 1825, longer. On october 25, 1825, the entire length of the erie canal was complete. And while washingtons canal was a failure, citizens of new york thought they might be able to construct a canal that would reach hundreds of miles westward. 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. Push the tiller in the direction you want the stern to go was her.
It was built to create a navigable water route from new york city and the atlantic ocean to the great lakes. The book details holthams travels in parts of the eastern united states. The canal by connecting the great lakes to the hudson river and through this waterway to the atlantic ocean. The erie canal was an engineering marvel when it opened in 1825, linking the. Hed be especially interested in a volume that had a lot of maps, technical explanations, etc. A little historical background and a lot of tales about the erie canal. How chicago transformed from a midwestern outpost town to a. What was an immediate effect of the completion of the erie. The boat carried mules and people from albany to buffalo. Completion of erie canal in 1825 encouraged the growth of the. Once the gates were closed the water pressure would push the gates. Marys falls canal soo canal between lakes superior and huron was opened in 1855, cleveland read more. The erie canal explains how a canal was built as a solution to this problem. Sal, the mule made famous by the erie canal song in 19 has.
After more than two years of digging, the 425mile erie canal was opened on october 26, 1825, by governor. A picturesque celebration of the wedding of the waters followed the completion of the work. The erie canal was completed in 1825 and became the backbone of an economic and cultural explosion that defined the image of new york. The erie canal is a beautifully illustrated picture book that my children, now adults, enjoyed each night as i sang the lyrics to them. Locks were built to overcome the 571ft 174m difference between the level of the river and that of lake erie. In this year that marks the bicentennial of the groundbreaking for the erie canal, wcny is committed to telling the national and even international impact of the erie, the canal that made america, said robert j. National significance and historical context erie canalway national.
The sheer size of the erie canal, 350 miles in length, plus its enormous cost. The standard canal boat of 1825 carried 40 tons and had a draft. On this date in history, the erie canal opened in 1825. The erie canal has been featured in many works of fiction and nonfiction. Traveling the erie canal, 1836 eyewitness to history. An erie canal cruise company, based in herkimer, operates from midmay until midoctober with daily cruises.
I was delighted that many years later i was able to purchase a copy for my grandchildren. 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. How chicago transformed from a midwestern outpost town to. The canal was 363 miles 584 kilometers long, 40 feet 12 m wide, and 4 feet deep 1. May 04, 2017 shipwreck identified as rare canal boat.
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. The canal was opened by governor dewitt clinton who. While some people thought the canal was a good idea, other people were against it. The erie canal in new york from folly to fame farm and.
It was the longest artificial waterway and the greatest public works project in north america. This story was based on a song about 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. It linked lake erie and all the great lakes to the hudson river and new york. Completion of erie canal in 1825 encouraged the growth of the midwest because it l inked the great lakes to the atlantic coast. The erie canal readerpoems, essays, travelogues, and fiction by major american and british writerscaptures 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. Oct 12, 2018 how chicago transformed from a midwestern outpost town to a towering city the windy city spurred its miraculous growth by building canals, laying sewers and jacking up buildings. An artificial waterway constructed from 1817 1825 that opened huge transport abilities and led to a waterway that goes to the great lakes.
The erie canal by peter spier goodreads share book. In the early days of the erie canal 18251918 the canal was a man made ditch. He spent his entire career pushing a variety of projects to completion, including over. After 190 years, nys erie canal a relic with a hefty cost ny daily. Colorful photographs and pictures from the past will keep students engaged during this lesson. The erie canal tells the story of one of americas most ambitious publicworks projects. 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. This dual push and pull is particularly evi dent in erie. The canal was opened by governor dewitt clinton who is credited as the force behind.
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. 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 consisted of 85 locks to manage a 500 foot 150 meter rise in elevation from the hudson river to buffalo. It is simple enough for them to understand the basics of what the canal is. Construction began in 1817 and was completed in 1825. An artificial waterway constructed from 1817 1825 that opened huge transport abilities and. The canal, which dates to 1825, runs from buffalo to albany, n. The canal, stretching from new york to lake erie, opened up the west in the early 1800s. Part two is the pony express book which symbolizes the great push to the pacific ocean. Completion of erie canal in 1825 encouraged the growth of. This is shown by the fact that public land sales at detroit reached a high point in 1825, the year the erie canal opened, and then declined in the years immediately following. It was an immediate financial success, 7 years after its opening it was completely paid off by the tolls charged. The canal s opening ignited the first great western migration. Dewitt clinton travels from buffalo to new york harbor and ceremoniously dumps water from lake erie into the harbor.
The success of the erie canal set off a burst of canal building. Aug 01, 2001 the erie canal museum, founded in 1962, seeks to keep erie canal history and heritage alive. It is simple enough for them to understand the basics of what the canal is all about. Lock 9, erie canal article about lock 9, erie canal by the. There was an increase for food product prices along the atlantic coast. 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 canal resulted in a massive population surge in western new york, and opened regions further west to increased settlement. 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 canal was straightened a bit, the channel was increased in size to 7. Hosford, printers, albany, 1825 map and profiles of newyork state canals. Historic broad street bridge and the erie canal sesquicentennial, 18251975.
Theres no such thing as you cruise along the erie canal under the lift bridge at fairport, n. The erie canal opens, connecting the great lakes with the atlantic ocean via the hudson river. Martin morganstein, development director of the museum, and joan h. Chemung, chenango, crooked lake, oneida lake, and genesee valley canals abandoned, late 1870s. This map, published by lewis henry morgan in his 1857 book league of the. This is a cute book for children to learn about the erie canal. The canal spanned 363 miles, and its completion helped to speed up the development of the west. New yorks erie canal by boat new yorks erie canal by boat. Customize your erie canal print with hundreds of different frames and mats, if desired. Gave ny direct access to chicago and the growing west. A territorial conflict began with canada over the great lakes.
Originally, it ran 363 miles 584 km from the hudson river in albany to lake erie in buffalo. 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. Jul 14, 2017 the erie canal was conceived to alleviate this problem. Erie canal by erie canal museum, martin morganstein and joan.
Building the canal required major innovations in engineering. Erie canal by erie canal museum, martin morganstein and. Begun in 1817 and opened in its entirety 1825, the erie canal is considered the engineering marvel of the 19th century. 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. After more than two years of digging, the 425mile erie canal was. Canal society of new york state series a list of books, articles and other pieces dealing with the erie canal. 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.
The channel opened in 1825 to link lake erie with the hudson river. And each of these communities in that region has a piece of this book. Gateway to the west 16141925 is a fourvolume set covering six counties in upstate new york. By 1896 lengthened chambers let most erie canal locks pass two boats through in tandem.
It is eminently suitable for framing and permanent display in a library or study. The erie canal is a destination for tourists from all over the world, and has inspired guidebooks dedicated to exploration of the waterway. Fotowerks, printed on parchment stock, this official new york state historic map depict in minute detail the erie canal as originally built in 1825. Getting the canal built building such a long canal was a huge undertaking in the early 1800s. There are actually three immediate effects of the completion of the erie canal in 1825 and these are the following.
Kendalls illustrated history brings into focus the enormous geographic and social impact of this stunning technological feat. Early images of hope and optimism well beforethe erie canal officially opened in 1825, the idea of a canal occupied the imagination of. The canal, which was completed in 1825, also worked economically. Erie canal, historic waterway of the united states, connecting the great lakes with new york city via the hudson river at albany. Jun 01, 2009 the erie canal is a beautifully illustrated picture book that my children, now adults, enjoyed each night as i sang the lyrics to them.
Rivers, streams and tributaries acted as feeders which were allowed to run into the ditch canal. The building of the erie canal was the engineering marvel that unleashed the growth of the young nation that was the united states. Laws of the state of new york, in relation to the erie and champlain canals published by authority, under the direction of the secretary of state e. Built between 1817 and 1825, the original erie canal traversed 363 miles from albany to buffalo. A canal between the new york cities of albany and buffalo, completed in 1825. Seeing history on the erie canal is now available on amazon. The erie canal, which opened in 1825, connects lake erie with albany, new york, which is located along the hudson river. There were many times when there was either too much or not enough water in the canal. His book needed a map of that magnificent undertaking to underscore his. This painting shows the seneca chief, the flagship of a flotilla making the maiden voyage down the erie canal.
In 1836 an enlargement program commenced on the main erie canal system. It seems that you have missed the necessary options to answer this question, but anyway, here is the answer. The erie canal 1825 paintings of carl rakeman about. 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. 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.
Credit for this entrepreneurial attitude is due, in part, to a nationallysignificant treasure. United states history timeline, 18101819, from, with 1817 detail on the construction of the erie canal. Important as it was, the erie canal did not cause the great migration to michigan. By linking buffalo to new york city, the waterway decreased freight costs. Shipwreck identified as rare canal boat smart news. A guide to 400 miles of adventure and history along the erie canalway trail. Marys falls canal soo canal between lakes superior and huron was opened in 1855, cleveland. 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.
Jul 27, 2019 west of troy, 83 canal locks were built to accommodate the 500foot rise in elevation. Building the erie canal and the american empire while attempting to be a. The erie canal was conceived to alleviate this problem. Construction began on the erie canal on july 4, 1817 in rome, new york. My dad is a civil engineer who enjoys reading the odd popular history book. Historical timeline erie canalway national heritage corridor. 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. The erie canal was officially opened on october 25, 1825. The massive job was begun in 1817 and completed in 1825. The 363mile erie canal was begun at rome, new york, on july 4, 1817. The erie canal and the novel, in frank bergmann, ed.
Push the tiller in the direction you want the stern to go was her single most important bit of advice. The canal connected the great lakes and the atlantic ocean. Condon, who wrote about this system in his 1974 book, stars in. I want to get him something on the erie canal, but i havent been able to tell if theres anything good out there. The canals development spurred successful industry and a booming economy, sparking massive urban growth in an area that was previously virtually unexplored wilderness. In the early days of the erie canal 18251918 the canal was a man made ditch 40 feet wide and only 4 feet deep. Governor dewitt clinton of new york, the driving force behind. Oct 26, 2016 the erie canal changes the face of commerce for young america. Erie canalway national heritage corridor historical timeline.
Over,000 boats used the canal in the first year and, at least, 4,000 people traveled on the canal. 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. It describes what a trip on a boat would be like on the erie canal. History slow until 1832, when the ohio and erie canal begun in 1825 to connect lake erie and the ohio river was completed. The cruise goes through the history of the canal and also takes passengers through lock 18. 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. Map and profile of the erie canal originally published in. Each erie canal art print is produced using archival inks, ships within 48 hours, and comes with a 30day money back guarantee. In the 1850s railroads increased the communitys commercial and industrial activity. It made farmers to more easily ship grain to eastern markets.
Overhead aqueducts were used to allow streams to cross the canal. Erie canalway national heritage corridor engineering. 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. Opened in 1825, the canal proved so commercially viable that construction of an. Erie canalway national heritage corridor history and culture. The history of locks is a subject in it self and would take a book if explored completely. West of troy, 83 canal locks were built to accommodate the 500foot rise in elevation. Shop for erie canal art prints from our community of independent artists and iconic brands. The erie canal changes the face of commerce for young america. How chicago transformed from a midwestern outpost town to a towering city the windy city spurred its miraculous growth by building canals, laying sewers and jacking up buildings. This online version is part of the schenectady digital history archive, the local history and genealogy web site of the schenectady county public library, affiliated with the nygenweb, usgenweb and american history and genealogy projects and the american.