1. The Erie canal
By: Nora Puryear

2. Reasons Geological barriers, ex. Appalachian Mountains Poor roads
Wanted to expand further with trade

3. Route
Connected to the port of NYC, beginning at the Hudson River, flowing into NY Bay. Then, from Troy, to Rome, through Syracuse and Rochester, to Buffalo on the NE coast of Lake Erie (Rosenberg).

4. Doubts Largest canal at the time only 27 miles.
So many doubted 363 mile canal possible.
Federal government would not fund it.
NYC had to come up with the funds on its own.
(“Erie Canal”)

5. Clinton’s Big Ditch
Erie Canal was nicknamed “Clinton’s Big Ditch” after DeWitt Clinton, mayor of NYC, later gov., because of the impact he had on it (“Erie”).

6. How the Locks look today

7. Plans for the Locks

8. How the canal’s locks looked back then

9. Dewitt Clinton
“Gov. Dewitt Clinton at the opening ceremony marking the completion of the Erie Canal ahead of schedule in 1825.” (“The Key Players”)

10. Opening the waters
Clinton sailed from Buffalo to NYC on the canal and emptied a barrel of Lake Erie Water into the Atlantic Ocean as part of the grand opening of the Canal (“Erie”).

11. Workers
The job took thousands of workers, many being European immigrants because the US paid three times more than their home countries would pay for any type of job (Rosenberg).
They had to dig it all by hand.

12. Cost Canal cost $7 million Federal Government would not fund
NYC had to come up with money on its own
Paid it off by the use of tolls
(Rosenberg)

13. New advancements
New advancements such as the railroads and automobiles basically ended the Erie Canal’s business (Rosenberg).
The canal is now mainly used for recreational reasons.

14. Works Cited Information
“Erie Canal.” Infoplease.com. (November 23, 2013). <
“Erie Canal.” Dictionary of American History Encyclopedia.com. (November 23, 2013). <
Rosenberg, Matt. "Erie Canal." About.com. N.p., Web. 22 Nov <
"The Key Players." In The Erie Canal. Low Bridge Productions, Web. 24 Nov <

15. Works cited
Pictures
Sadowski, Frank E., Jr. "Images of the Erie Canal in Syracuse." Erie Canal Images. N.p., Web. 24 Nov <
"Tennessee River." Tennessee River. N.p., Web. 24 Nov <
“The Erie Canal.” Locks on the Erie Canal Eriecanal.org. (November 23, 2013). <
"The Key Players." In The Erie Canal. Low Bridge Productions, Web. 24 Nov <
"Page16." Page16. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov <