Jesse Hawley: The Invention Of The Erie Canal

The Erie Canal was a man made water way that stretched to be three hundred sixty three miles long. The canal started construction in1817, and took nine years to completely finish the building process. People during this time had many positive, and negative opinions about the fact that this expensive canal was being built. The idea of the Erie Canal originates with Jesse Hawley, the idea was to connect the great lakes to the Atlantic ocean making an easy path to the west from the east without having to pass Niagara Falls. The canal was mostly built by Irish immigrants who were hated, or disliked, by most people. People had ideas and predictions about what would come of this canal. Let's just see which of the predictions were more accurate to

All of the positive predictions of how the Erie Canal turned out could be considered "correct" depending on what point you view the situation from. During the mid to late 1820s, trade, and revenue boomed. During this time, revenue in the state of Ohio went from $0, to a little over $450,000 in just the span of about ten years, (Chart 2). Supporting that information in Chart 4, it shows that bushels of wheat transported on the Erie Canal in approximately ten years increases by one million bushels. That is a lot of bushels of wheat. Another example of positive change after the Erie Canal was built might be that in towns, the canal was sometimes considered the "lifeline" of the town. "A Jordan resident was quoted as saying that the canal was the main street of the village and the lifeline," (Picture 1). In picture 2, it could represent a positive change because it shows how many people traveled through the canal and how many new goods reached the western area of the United States through the Erie Canal. This canal also brings new realizations to people during this time about religion and how people were being treated. "A new understanding of how the spiritual transformation of the individual might bring about change was taking place," (Document E). This shows that people had new beliefs and that when traveling the Erie Canal you have new chances. This document in general also shows that people who were traveling the

People predicted things about it, some predictions were false and some were true, but no matter who says what about the canal, both positive and negative impacts can be argued about the construction of this canal. The Erie Canal made an impact on many movements including but certainly not limited to the abolitionist movement, and the women's rights movement. This manmade water way also effected how people transported throughout the country. In fact, until the railroads were built, the Erie Canal was the fasted and most efficient way to travel and move goods around the country. In conclusion, the Erie Canal effected the united states positively, negatively, regardless of what people predicted would happen if this canal was