Erie Canal
By: Richard Ellam
The first dirt and the last dig
In 1817 workers near Rome, New York broke ground, after 8 years of mud and blood workers packed the last of the dirt and opened the canal to the public in 1827 and changed the travel,trade,agriculture, and industrial industry forever.
Important stops along the way
The Erie canal ran through many towns and cities but had only a few important places along the way. Work started in Rome, New York and ends near Buffalo, at Lake Erie, it runs through the Hudson River, Champlain Canal, frankfort Ky, Oneida Lake, Oswega Canal, Rochester NY, Niagara River, and ends at Lake Erie, 363 long miles of industrial greatness.
Important people directing the Canal build
First thought expressed to people was a man named Cadwallader golden, but was completely ignored. After work started a man named Dewitt Clinton helped gain government support since he was a politician, Clinton's assistant named Canvas White was in England studying canals and sketched plenty of ideas and opportunities for the canal, he brought back notes and sketches but played a another role in building the Erie canal. An important substance called trass (a water resistant type of cement) was needed for building the canal but was mostly found in Europe with little to no known deposits around America, it was also very expensive to import trass from Europe so White set out to find the rare substance. he struck luck with a trass deposit in the backyard of the Erie canal.
Reasons for Erie canal
In the early 1800's people would trade, import, export, move their home, etc. but with a high price. If you were moving from state to state you were going to stay for good because of how expensive and time consuming it was, people needed an easier way to travel. Along with trading goods, it was about $100 to have goods transported for trade or exporting to a country, but with the canal being completed later it would only cost about $10 for state to state, a big change was needed.
Important improvements
When the canal was in its early stages, low bridges were made for farmers so they could walk from their farm to the market or anywhere. But these bridges were so low that people had to duck or completely lay down on the deck to get past these bridges. Crossing places were built for boats to cross through other body's of water. But that's all, same cement and everything from the original canal still lay in the water.
What did it affect?
When it first started 50,000 people were affected, trade, travel, life, businesses and more were all affected. When the canal was built, farmers paid $10, but before it was about $100 with cattle. With the cheaper goods and new canal came more work and something or somebody called hoggies. Hoggies were young men who desperately needed work but were cheated in their earnings by the boat captains, usually paid way less than normal miners. The Erie canal also inspired a song in 1905 called the Erie canal by a man named Thomas S. Allen. In a few years after finish New York becomes busiest port in America.
Low Bridge - The Erie Canal song
Events along the way
In 1818 and 1819 malaria spread through the Erie canal killing many workers and slowed down the build since some quit and most died, but in 1819 a boat carried governor Clinton down the Erie canal with others. In 1821, Erie canal was having financial problems but was saved with a $1,000,000 loan from New York legislature. Erie canal is finished in 1825 and Seneca Chief is first boat to completely sail Erie canal.