What was the main purpose of the Erie Canal?
The Erie Canal provided a direct water route from New York City to the Midwest, triggering large-scale commercial and agricultural development—as well as immigration—to the sparsely populated frontiers of western New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and points farther west.
What are 3 important facts about the Erie Canal?
14 Navigable Facts About the Erie Canal
- GEORGE WASHINGTON PROVIDED AN EARLY MODEL.
- A FORMER PRISONER HELPED SPUR THE CANAL’S CONSTRUCTION.
- THOMAS JEFFERSON HATED THE IDEA OF THE CANAL.
- IT WAS DESIGNED BY AMATEURS.
- THOUSANDS OF LABORERS BUILT THE CANAL BY HAND.
- THE ORIGINAL ROUTE SPANNED 363 MILES.
What does Erie Canal mean in history?
The Erie Canal is a man made waterway linking the Hudson River to the Great Lakes. It opened up America to westward expansion, making the transport of goods and people quicker, cheaper, and more efficient and thus contributing to the growth of industrialization.
What is unique about the Erie Canal?
Interesting Facts about the Erie Canal The original canal included 83 locks and rose 583 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. Today, the canal has 36 locks. There was a towpath along the side of the canal where horses or mules would tow the boat along the canal. The horse drivers were called “hoggees.”
What are 2 economic effects of the Erie Canal?
What Are the two economic effects of the Erie Canal? City Expansion and Goods traveling on it. How much did women make in the textile mills?
How deep is the Erie Canal 2020?
How deep is the Erie Canal 2020?
JUST THE FACTS | |
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Canal dimensions, 1862 Enlarged Erie | 7 ft deep x 70 ft wide; lock 110 ft long |
Canal dimensions, 1918- present Erie Barge Canal | 12-23 ft deep x 120-200 ft wide; locks 310 ft long |
Cost to build | $7,143,789 |
Return on Investment | 10 years |
Is it safe to swim in the Erie Canal?
Swimming, diving or fishing in the lock chambers or from the lock walls or any other canal structure is prohibited. Hunting on, at or near canal locks or any other canal structure is prohibited.
Does Erie Canal still exist?
Nearly 200 years old and still going strong. New York’s canal system has been in continuous operation since 1825, longer than any other constructed transportation system on the North American continent.
Is Erie Canal man made?
The Erie Canal is a manmade waterway that joins the Great Lakes with the Hudson River. Construction of the original canal started on July 4, 1817, in Rome, New York, and was completed on October 26, 1825. The men completed a canal that was 40 feet wide, 4 feet deep, and stretched hundreds of miles.
What was one change as a result of the Erie Canal now?
The Erie Canal helped to launch the consumer economy. In addition to providing an economic boost by allowing the transport of goods at one-tenth the previous cost in less than half the previous time, the Erie Canal led to a transformation of the American economy as a whole.
Why was the Erie Canal so successful?
Why was the Erie Canal so successful? It linked the economies of the Midwest and the Northeast. The Erie Canal connected midwestern and northeastern economies, serving as an avenue for the eastward movement of agricultural products and the westward movement of manufactured goods.
Where does the Erie Canal start and end?
Contents. The Erie Canal is a 363-mile waterway that connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River in upstate New York. The channel, which traverses New York state from Albany to Buffalo on Lake Erie, was considered an engineering marvel when it first opened in 1825. The Erie Canal provided a direct water route
Who was the governor when the Erie Canal was built?
Clinton believed that the canal was crucial to the economic advancement of his city. Clinton saw his plan come to fruition in 1817 after he became the governor of New York. Workers first broke ground on the Erie Canal on July 4, 1817, near Utica, New York.
Where did Andrew Hawley advocate for the Erie Canal?
In them, Hawley advocated for a canal system that would span nearly 400 miles from Buffalo, New York, on the eastern shore of Lake Erie, to Albany, New York, on the Hudson River. Hawley’s eloquent essays caught the attention of New York politicians, including New York City mayor DeWitt Clinton.
Who was the Commissioner of the New York State Canal?
In 1816, as a sitting Canal Commissioner, DeWitt Clinton submitted a formal petition to a joint committee of the New York State Senate and Assembly to create a canal system between the Hudson River and Lake Erie.