Video and Notes

The Erie Canal is a man-made waterway that travels across the state of New York. The Erie Canal connects the Hudson River in the East to Lake Erie in the West. The Erie Canal allows a boat to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes entirely by water.

The Erie Canal was started on July 4 th, 1817 and completed on October 25 th,1825. The Erie Canal cost 7 million dollars to build. ~ 4 billion dollars in todays money DeWitt Clinton was the Governor of New York, and the major political force behind building the Erie Canal. Opponents called the canal “Clinton’s Ditch”

The original Erie Canal was 363 miles long, 40 feet wide, and 4 feet deep. It has been expanded several times since then. The Erie Canal was dug entirely by hand. Workers used shovels, gun powder, basic machines, and teams of work animals to move 11 million cubic yards of rock and dirt. Immigrant workers did the most dangerous work. They were paid ~ 1 dollar per day

The Erie Canal travels through very harsh terrain. Swamps, forests, grasslands, mountains Teams of work animals were used to pull boats through the Canal. (Mules and Horses) Today tugboats are often used. To change elevation the Erie Canal uses a system of locks. (Over 500 ft. over the length of the canal) Locks use water and gravity to raise a boat to the proper elevation.

The Erie Canal spurred further Westward settlement. Cities along the Canal route exploded in population The Erie Canal made it possible to ship goods to the Midwestern United States by water. Shipping costs decreased 90-95% The Erie Canal caused cities like New York City and Chicago to become the major economic centers they are today.