Canals
Emerging industry needed to move goods, and the solution in the 19th century was to dig canals. New York's Erie Canal changed American business, and new canals were also dug in Great Britain. And on a grand scale, the Suez Canal made passage to India much shorter and inspired people to start thinking about creating a canal to cross Panama.
Building the Erie Canal
The idea of building a canal from the east coast into the interior of North America had been proposed by George Washington, who actually attempted such a thing in the 1790s. And while Washington's canal was a failure, citizens of New York thought they might be able to construct a canal that would reach hundreds of miles westward.
The idea of building a canal from the east coast into the interior of North America had been proposed by George Washington, who actually attempted such a thing in the 1790s. And while Washington's canal was a failure, citizens of New York thought they might be able to construct a canal that would reach hundreds of miles westward.
It was a dream, and many people scoffed. But when one man, DeWit…
The Erie Canal
New York State's illustrious "Big Ditch," featuring maps, images, articles and even pointers on touring what remains of the waterway that changed commerce in America in the 1820s.
New York State's illustrious "Big Ditch," featuring maps, images, articles and even pointers on touring what remains of the waterway that changed commerce in America in the 1820s.