In the early 1800's, Governor DeWitt Clinton of New York proposed the construction of a canal that would stretch from Buffalo, New York, on Lake Erie to Albany, New York, on the Hudson River. The canal would connect the Great Lakes region with New York City and the east. Many Americans thought building such a canal would be impossible. Most canals in existence at that time were only a few miles long. The proposed Erie Canal would cover a distance of about 360 miles!
By 1817, work had begun on the canal. It took eight years and cost $7,000,000 to build. It was the longest canal in the world and the engineering marvel of its day. The canal was 40 feet wide and an average of 4 feet deep. Locks were built to compensate for the 568-foot difference in elevation between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. When the Erie Canal finally opened in 1825, Governor DeWitt sailed from Buffalo to New York City, bringing with him a barrel of water from Lake Erie, which he poured into New York Harbor. This act served to symbolize the new link made possible by the canal.
The Erie Canal contributed greatly to the settlement of the Midwest. People and supplies could now be transported westward to the territories in the Great Lakes region, and the farmers in the Midwest could ship their crops more easily to the cities in the east. The canal greatly decreased the amount of time it took to ship goods back and forth, and led to New York City becoming the most important port city in the United States.
Approximately how much water did the canal hold when it opened in 1825?
Painting by Carl Rakeman, "The Erie Canal - 1825"