The History and Industry of The Erie Canal

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The History and Industry ofThe Erie Canal

• By,
• Seth Arnold
• Kurt Funk
• Back To Pedagogical Content Knowledge Page

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History

• 1768 was the first time the canal was proposed to
  be built. Instead they connected The Hudson River
  with Lake Oswego.
• It was not until 1808 that the state funded the
  proposal of this project to connect a canal to
  Lake Erie however, construction would not begin
  for another 9 years.
• The canal was proposed in order to open the
  country west of the Appalachian Mountains to
  settlers and to offer a cheap and safe way to
  carry produce to a market.

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History Continued

• Finally, on July 4, 1817, Governor Dwight Clinton
  started construction of the canal.
• The building of the canal took 8 years, and was
  finally completed on October 26, 1825. It was the
  engineering marvel of its day.
• It included 18 aqueducts to carry the canal over
  ravines and rivers, and 83 locks, with a rise of
  568 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. It
  was 4 feet deep and 40 feet wide, and floated
  boats carrying 30 tons of freight.
• In order to keep pace with the growing demands of
  traffic, the Erie Canal was enlarged between 1836
  and 1862. The enlargements made the Erie Canal 70
  feet wide and 7 feet deep, and could handle boats
  carrying 240 tons. The number of locks was
  reduced to 72.

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Industry of the Erie Canal
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Industry

• On October 26, 1825, the Erie Canal was opened.
  The canal instantly became one of the most
  important commercial routes connecting the East
  with the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys.
• With the time of travel cut to one-third and the
  cost of shipping freight cut to one-tenth of the
  previous figures, needless to say, the Erie Canal
  was responsible for making New York City the
  chief port of the Atlantic. The growing urban
  population and the construction of canals,
  railroads and factories stimulated the demand for
  raw materials which came from western New York. A
  large percentage of the shipments dealt with
  agriculture.
• As a result of the Erie Canal, Buffalo became the
  chief trade center for all trade around the Great
  Lakes

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More Industry

• The Erie Canal was responsible for far more
  population and Industry growth that expanded well
  beyond New York. Low profile port cities on the
  Great Lakes awakened as this trade gateway was
  introduced.
• 75 percent of the 1.1 million people who went to
  the polls approved the canal proposition of the
  new Barge Canal. It had great support in the
  locations at either end of the Erie Canal.
• Supporters hoped the Barge Canal would help New
  York City remain a commercial giant, because
  grain and other products from the western states
  would still be shipped there.
• Buffalo would get cheap raw materials for its
  iron and steel industry.

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Location of The Erie Canal

• The Erie Canal runs from the Hudson River in New
  York to Lake Erie at Buffalo

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RochesterThis shows the construction of the Erie
Canal in its beginning steps
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SyracuseThis picture portrays what the Erie
Canal looked like in 1920, if you were around
Syracuse.
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BuffaloA scenic view of the Erie canal around
the Buffalo area.
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AlbanyThis place around Albany is known as the
slowest moving part of the Erie Canal.
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Population Effects

• New York was ranked fourth in population in 1800
  and rose to first place in 1820.
• Albany doubled its population within a few years.
  
• Utica increased from 3,000 to 13,000 in 20 years.
  
• Syracuse became a city of 11,000 in 1840.
• Rochester which was once known for its abundant
  forests and wilderness, is now a city of 20,000
  people.
• Buffalo which has no main situational factors
  besides the Erie Canal, became a gateway to the
  west and its population reached 18,000 by 1840.

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