How The Erie Canal Transformed America - IT'S HISTORY

Summary

The Erie Canal, a 363-mile waterway through New York wilderness, was a monumental 19th-century engineering feat that transformed transportation and commerce. Initially deemed too ambitious by the federal government, it was New York State that took up the challenge. Overcoming numerous obstacles, including financial troubles and labor shortages, the canal was built through sheer determination and manual labor, primarily by Irish immigrants. It connected the Great Lakes to New York City, solidifying New York's status as a commercial hub and symbolizing American ingenuity and expansion.

Takeaways

• 🚣 The Erie Canal was a 363-mile waterway through New York wilderness, considered an engineering marvel of the 19th century.
• 🏗️ Initially deemed too ambitious by the federal government, the construction of the canal was accomplished by the state of New York through sheer manpower.
• 👨‍💼 Jess Holly, a grain merchant, is noted for his advocacy for improved infrastructure, which he saw as essential for economic growth and development.
• 📜 Holly's correspondence with President Thomas Jefferson was one of the first calls for government intervention to assist the people at the expense of the wealthy elite.
• 💡 The idea for the canal was met with skepticism, with President Jefferson dismissing it as 'little short of madness'.
• 👷‍♂️ The construction involved thousands of workers, including a significant number of Irish immigrants who played a crucial role in the challenging and dangerous work.
• 🌿 The canal's route was carefully planned to avoid significant natural obstacles, but it still faced challenges like the Montezuma swamps and the Niagara Escarpment.
• 💥 The use of black powder and innovative engineering solutions, such as the staircase of locks at Lockport, were essential in overcoming the physical barriers of the canal's path.
• 🚢 The Erie Canal was a catalyst for the growth of cities like New York, Chicago, and Detroit, solidifying New York City as the United States' commercial capital.
• 🏫 The canal project led to the establishment of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the nation's first civil engineering institute, and the 'Erie School of Engineering'.
• 🌉 The Erie Canal remains in use today, serving as a testament to the vision and capability of those who built it and the impact it had on American expansion and industry.

Q & A

What was the Erie Canal considered to be in the 19th century?

The Erie Canal was considered the definitive engineering marvel of the 19th century.

How long was the Erie Canal?

The Erie Canal was a 363-mile waterway.

Who was the man from New York who faced financial troubles due to transport difficulties?

Jess Holly was the man who faced financial troubles due to the difficulty of transport.

What was the main problem with the early American infrastructure?

The main problem with early American infrastructure was its primitive nature, with no motorways or cross-country paths, and existing roads turning into mud after slight rainfall.

What was the term 'highway robbery' originally referring to?

The term 'highway robbery' originally referred to bandits on highways that stopped carriages and stole money from them.

What was the Louisiana Purchase and how did it impact the United States?

The Louisiana Purchase was when Napoleon Bonaparte sold France's holdings known as French Louisiana to the United States for 15 million dollars, effectively doubling the size of the country.

Why did Jess Holly write to President Thomas Jefferson?

Jess Holly wrote to President Thomas Jefferson to complain about people overcharging for land out west and proposing a plan to use excess federal funds to mark out towns as ports and assist in their development.

What was the main reason for Jess Holly's imprisonment in debtor's prison?

Jess Holly was imprisoned in debtor's prison because he could not pay back the loans he took to establish his business due to transport inefficiency.

Who was Senator DeWitt Clinton and what was his role in the Erie Canal?

Senator DeWitt Clinton was a prominent New York political figure who advocated for the construction of the Erie Canal. He served as a state senator, U.S. senator, and mayor of New York City, and was instrumental in pushing the canal project forward.

What was the reaction of President Thomas Jefferson to the proposal of the Erie Canal?

President Thomas Jefferson was utterly appalled by the proposal of the Erie Canal, calling it 'little short of madness' due to the scale and manpower required for the project.

How did the Erie Canal construction overcome the challenge of the Niagara Escarpment?

The Erie Canal construction overcame the challenge of the Niagara Escarpment by using a series of five locks, known as a staircase of boats, to scale up the 70-foot tall cliff blocking the path to Lake Erie.

What was the impact of the Erie Canal on New York City?

The Erie Canal solidified New York City as the United States' commercial capital, making it the gateway to the west for trade and transport, and allowing boats to sail from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean in 10 days.

Outlines

00:00

🚣‍♂️ The Erie Canal: A 19th Century Engineering Marvel

The Erie Canal is recognized as a significant engineering achievement of the 19th century, stretching 363 miles through New York's wilderness to serve as a vital transportation route. Initially deemed too ambitious by the federal government, the state of New York took on the project relying on manual labor. The video introduces the story with a focus on Jess Holly, a man who faced financial struggles due to poor infrastructure and transportation. His experiences and advocacy for improved infrastructure led to the conception of the Erie Canal.

05:03

📜 The Advocacy and Proposal of the Erie Canal

After serving time in debtor's prison, Jess Holly emerged with a clear vision of the need for improved infrastructure, particularly advocating for a canal from Buffalo to Albany. His writings gained traction, and support for waterways grew. Senator DeWitt Clinton, a influential figure in New York politics, took up the cause, proposing a massive canal project that was initially met with skepticism, including rejection by President Thomas Jefferson. Despite this, Clinton persisted, and after the War of 1812, he successfully lobbied for the canal's construction, turning it into a state-funded endeavor.

10:07

🏗️ Overcoming Challenges in Canal Construction

The construction of the Erie Canal was a monumental task facing numerous challenges, including the lack of federal support and the need for innovative engineering solutions. The project relied on local designers and self-taught engineers, who overcame obstacles such as finding suitable cement for construction and devising methods to clear land and manage water levels. The workforce, which included a significant number of Irish immigrants, faced harsh working conditions, diseases, and societal prejudices, yet they persevered to make the canal a reality.

15:13

🌉 The Final Hurdle and Triumph of the Erie Canal

The final and most daunting challenge in constructing the Erie Canal was the Niagara Escarpment, a massive cliff that stood in the way of connecting to Lake Erie. An innovative solution involving a staircase of five locks was devised to overcome this obstacle. The water source for these locks was Lake Erie itself, requiring the Irish workers to blast a seven-mile path through solid bedrock. Despite further societal unrest and a deadly riot, the canal was completed, and it quickly became a vital trade route, solidifying New York City's status as a commercial hub.

20:17

🌟 Legacy of the Erie Canal

The Erie Canal stands as a testament to American ingenuity and perseverance, having been completed against all odds. It not only became a significant trade route but also led to the establishment of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the nation's first civil engineering school. The canal continues to be used for both commercial shipping and tourism, reflecting its enduring impact on American industry and its role in the country's westward expansion.

Keywords

💡Erie Canal

The Erie Canal is a 363-mile waterway that was a monumental engineering achievement in the 19th century, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean via New York City. It was crucial for trade and transport, allowing goods to be moved more efficiently between the Midwest and the eastern seaboard. The canal played a significant role in the westward expansion of the United States and solidified New York City's status as a commercial hub.

💡Engineering Marvel

The term 'engineering marvel' refers to a construction or structure that demonstrates exceptional skill and innovation in engineering. In the context of the video, the Erie Canal is considered such because of its ambitious design and the sheer scale of the project, which was unprecedented at the time.

💡Infrastructure

Infrastructure refers to the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. In the video, the Erie Canal is highlighted as a critical piece of infrastructure that addressed the need for improved transportation and trade routes, which was a significant challenge of the early 19th century in the United States.

💡DeWitt Clinton

DeWitt Clinton was a New York senator who was instrumental in the conception and construction of the Erie Canal. His persistence and political savvy were key to overcoming opposition and securing the project's approval. Clinton's advocacy for the canal exemplifies the leadership and vision necessary to realize large-scale public works projects.

💡Irish Immigrants

The video discusses the significant role of Irish immigrants in the construction of the Erie Canal. They provided much-needed labor, especially during challenging segments like the Montezuma swamps, where they faced harsh working conditions and diseases. Their contribution was vital to the canal's completion and highlights the impact of immigrant labor on American infrastructure.

💡Canal Locks

Canal locks are watertight chambers that raise and lower boats to navigate differences in water levels between stretches of a canal. The video mentions that the Erie Canal utilized locks designed by Canvas White, who was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's work. These locks were essential for the canal's operation and allowed boats to traverse the varying elevations of upstate New York.

💡Hydraulic Cement

Hydraulic cement is a type of cement that hardens when wet and is used in structures that will be exposed to water, such as dams and canals. In the script, the discovery of a local source of hydraulic cement was crucial for the Erie Canal's construction, as it provided a durable material that could withstand the constant exposure to water.

💡Niagara Escarpment

The Niagara Escarpment is a large rock formation that posed a significant challenge for the Erie Canal's construction. The video describes how engineers overcame this obstacle by creating a 'staircase of boats' using multiple locks to scale the 70-foot cliff, which was a remarkable feat of engineering at the time.

💡Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, mentioned in the video, is the nation's first civil engineering institute. It was established in 1824 near the mouth of the Erie Canal in Troy, New York. The institute is a testament to the legacy of the Erie Canal, as it grew out of the practical engineering knowledge and experience gained from the canal's construction.

💡Erie School of Engineering

The 'Erie School of Engineering' was initially a colloquial term referring to the collective experience and learning of the engineers who worked on the Erie Canal. It later became literal with the establishment of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, symbolizing the educational legacy of the canal's construction and the birth of civil engineering in the United States.

💡Black Powder

Black powder, also known as gunpowder, was used in the construction of the Erie Canal, particularly for blasting through rock and other hard materials. The video notes the use of black powder in dealing with the Niagara Escarpment and the inherent dangers it posed to workers, illustrating the hazardous conditions faced during the canal's construction.

Highlights

The Erie Canal was considered the definitive engineering marvel of the 19th century.

It was a 363-mile waterway through the New York wilderness.

The canal was crucial for transporting goods and people, serving over 50,000 people.

The federal government initially deemed the canal idea too ambitious.

New York State took on the task of constructing the canal through sheer manpower.

Jess Hawley, born in 1773, faced transport difficulties that led to financial troubles.

Early American infrastructure was primitive, with roads turning to mud after rainfall.

Chicago suffered greatly from muddy roads, eventually raising the city several feet.

Highway robbery was a common problem on early American roads.

The Louisiana Purchase ignited a fever for exploration and westward expansion.

Hawley proposed a plan to use federal funds to develop towns and ports to prevent land grabs.

Hawley spent over a year in debtor's prison, which led to his advocacy for better infrastructure.

Senator DeWitt Clinton was a key advocate for the canal, despite initial rejections.

The War of 1812 provided a political climate conducive to Clinton's canal plans.

The Erie Canal was the first major industrial undertaking of the United States.

The canal solidified New York City as the United States' commercial capital.

The Erie Canal reduced the travel time from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean to 10 days.

The Erie Canal is still in use today, with larger boats and tourist boats traversing its waters.

The Erie Canal became a symbol of American ingenuity and the power of vision.

Transcripts

by many accounts the erie canal is considered  

the definitive engineering marvel of the  19th century being a 363 mile waterway  

through the new york wilderness it was  a crucial transport artery for over 50  

000 people yet when it was first proposed the  federal government deemed the idea too ambitious  

hence the task would fall to the state which went  on to accomplish construction by sheer manpower  

this is the story of the erie canal i'm your  host ryan socas and you're watching it's history

our story begins in the 1800s new york with  a man named jess holly born on may the 11th  

1773 in geneva connecticut he was a child  when the colonies rebelled against the british  

growing up with the republic and by the time  he was 30 he moved to western new york state  

here he made his living by buying grain from the  eastern part of the state processing it through a  

local mill before sending it back east for profits  this scheme never really brought him much profit  

as he always had financial troubles the lack  of income was mainly due to the difficulty of  

transport and he wasn't the only one suffering  from that problem at the time it was a challenge  

that new york and the country as a whole was  facing at the time infrastructure early american  

infrastructure was primitive there was no such  thing as motorways or even cross-country paths  

waterways were the best transport available and  they left much to be desired the roads that did  

exist were dirt and would turn into mud after  even the slightest rainfall as discussed in a  

previous video chicago in particular suffered  greatly from muddy roads to the point that  

they raised the entire city several feet however  chicago's solution to these problems were still  

50 years away from this moment in history the  roads weren't just a problem in the rain either  

in summers travelers had a completely rock hard  path ahead of them as the sun essentially forged  

it into a single solid mass when horses carriage  wheels or even someone at a brisk pace walked  

these roads it kicked up dirt into the air making  any traffic sure to choke on dust and that's not  

even mentioning the risks from sources other than  the roads themselves one example is the expression  

highway robbery today it describes when someone  feels as if they paid too much for a good or a  

service implying that they were robbed the term  originates from bandits on highways that stopped  

carriages and stole exorbitant amounts of money  from them as there weren't any police patrols  

out to stop them highwaymen as they were known in  europe were common sights on early american roads  

also known as road agents they would terrorize  america long into the times of the old  

west until the u.s government established enough  of a presence in these lands to combat them fully  

with police forces the roads in america were an  absolute mess and jess haley knew it however his  

eyes were elsewhere at the time you see the early  1800s were an exciting time for many americans  

as a new flame ignited their fever for exploration  once again that flame was the louisiana purchase  

when napoleon bonaparte sold the entirety of  france's holdings known as french louisiana to  

the united states with the signing of a paper and  exchange of 15 million dollars the united states  

doubled in size calling this purchase a steal  would quite literally be the underestimation of  

the century the united states had gotten away  with such a good deal that they could quite  

literally afford to give away land however the  people of the states weren't quite so generous  

in 1803 holly learned of people overcharging for  land out west which angered him to the point that  

he complained to the authorities he figured that  rather than fussing about with the lower parts  

of government he'd take the issue to a head so  he wrote to the then president thomas jefferson  

complaining about these quote unquote capitalists  slowing development on the frontier he also had  

a solution to the issues proposing a plan to  use excess federal funds to mark out towns as  

ports and assist in their development claiming  that the actions would prevent these land grabs  

that allowed his hated capitalists to continue  their schemes of highway robbery in the modern  

sense this plan would assist in the growth of what  holly called the american empire jefferson likely  

didn't pay this message much mind considering it  was railing against capitalists and calling for  

the government to seize the means of production of  cities however this message does carry historical  

significance as it was one of the first calls for  the government to step in and assist the people  

at the expense of the wealthy elite three  years after this letter the debts incurred  

by the transport inefficiency caught up to him  and holly could not pay back the loans he took  

to establish his business these loans eventually  landed him in debtors prison a prison for people  

who couldn't afford to pay their debts for context  in debtor's prison one could work off their debts  

and the price of their incarceration through  prison labor holly spent over a year and a half  

in debtor's prison mulling over the circumstances  that led to his imprisonment he eventually came to  

a single conclusion one culprit that was the  source of all his woes infrastructure and as  

he did when he raged against the capitalists with  their land grabs he began to write taking the pen  

name hercules he advocated for jefferson's plan to  work on manufactured waterways and infrastructure  

after clearing the national debt in particular  he called for a canal from buffalo to albany  

these essays began attracting attention for  many people in new york and many agreed with  

his calls for waterways these people found many  of their strongest arguments from his writing  

and when the mask from the pen name fell away  holly found wide admiration after his stint in  

debtors prison he served on the state assembly for  a session and gained an official position in the  

state government 1806 saw the beginnings of calls  for a canal and they would only get louder and  

louder eventually a senator would take the cause  to washington senator dewitt clinton born march  

the 2nd 1769 and little britain new york grew up  with the revolution just as holly did nephew of  

governor george clinton he had many ties to new  york serving as a state senator from 1798 to 1802  

then a u.s senator for new york from 1802 to  1803 then as mayor of new york from 1803 to 1815  

during his service as mayor of new york city  he stepped into the state senate's office  

for a third term in 1806 to a state calling  for a project of previously unheard of scale  

by 1809 a proposal was on the president's desk  but the idea of the canal didn't get off to a  

romantic start basically thomas jefferson picked  up the document and was utterly appalled the  

state of new york was asking for the government's  assistance in constructing an over 360-mile canal  

from the hudson river to the great lakes this  canal would let boats sail from the new york  

harbor up the hudson to albany then cross the  state in an entirely manufactured river existing  

from buffalo to lake erie a project of this scale  even today would be beyond imagination jefferson  

seeing the sheer manpower required for something  this massive turned down the proposal stating  

that it was quote unquote little short of madness  senator clinton wasn't a man to give up so easily  

however during his tenure he had constantly gone  the extra mile to serve the voice of the people  

advocating for free public education removing  voting restrictions on roman catholics and  

even establishing public welfare in new york  city by 1811 he brought together a new proposal  

this time to the new york senate he introduced  a bill to create a commission to search for the  

best route for a canal from albany to buffalo to  many this sounded suspiciously like that insane  

proposal he put to the president for many in the  state this was a step too far you see jefferson  

was and remains a popular president and this  blatant disregard of his opinion on the matter  

was nothing short of disrespectful the united  states of 1811 only had its developing self to  

rely upon so massive skill investments were chosen  carefully american politicians quickly took to  

mocking this project with names such as clinton's  folly or dewitt's ditch all the same clinton was  

politically savvy enough to push the bill through  the state despite opposition the commission  

was approved they'll work on the commission and  by extension the canal stalled the opposition was  

still very loud and it was a bit too controversial  to continue not many political advancements  

happened at all in 1812 as war had once again come  to the republic trade sanctions and other disputes  

had led to a formal declaration of war from the  united states to great britain and throughout the  

three-year-long war an invasion went into canada  failed and canadian and british troops marched  

in washington dc burning down the white house  despite heavy american losses and fewer british  

and canadian losses the war of 1812 ended in a  military draw however just before peace the battle  

of new orleans took place repelling a full-scale  british naval invasion aiming to take new orleans  

west florida and the entire louisiana territory  this decisive victory providing just enough war  

support to end the conflict on a positive note  also provided the perfect political climate for  

clinton to proceed with the plans for his canal  clinton traveled to albany the state capital of  

new york there he laid out his new and refined  plans for the canal and fought for their approval  

after yet more debate and political maneuvering  the plans were again approved turning the most  

ambitious project in the world into a state  affair since he couldn't get the president's aid  

clinton pushed for the state of new york to  complete this project by itself and now you might  

be wondering how he would pull it off without  the support of the federal government after all  

president jefferson called his plan nothing short  of insanity well he wanted to call upon engineers  

in europe to assist but they were either too busy  too expensive or dismayed by the mere concept of  

carving a swath through the entirety of upper  state new york without a drop of federal funding  

left with no other resource the canal commission  called upon local amateur designers to draft up  

the plans for the project the rest of the world  would describe as impossible among this ragtag  

crew were several self-taught engineers  inexperienced surveyors and at least one  

local math teacher two chief engineers of the  project were benjamin wright and james goddess  

two lawyers who got their experience surveying  land by resolving disputes wright wasted no time  

in sending his assistant canvas white who we have  already learned about in other videos to study  

in europe for a year white found the teachings of  leonardo da vinci to be the most useful what white  

was interested in was da vinci's design for canal  locks these locks would lower and raise boats  

depending on upcoming water levels which would be  invaluable for the varying elevations of upstate  

new york variations of these locks would also be  used in the panama canal nearly 100 years later  

as white returned to america he assisted in a  crucial discovery ordinary cement was unsuitable  

for the canal construction the constant exposure  to water would wear down any typical adhesive  

until it broke from water damage europe had  already faced this and created a solution  

hydraulic cement it hardened and remained stiff  underwater making it perfect for projects such  

as this however europe held is only stocks and  new york couldn't import any due to budgetary  

constraints white faced with yet another hurdle  brought on a colleague named andrew barstall  

to experiment with cement mixes eventually  they discovered a local source limestone when  

appropriately prepared it formed into a widely  available and inexpensive hydraulic cement  

allowing for the continuation of the project at  this point the actual progress of creating the  

waterway could begin astonishingly many of these  same engineers took up axes and began clearing  

the way for the canal themselves remember this  was the late 1810s there was no heavy machinery  

or power tools trees had to be cut down with axes  pulled down with ratchets and moved away by hand  

a ratchet could pull down the entirety of the  large ones but the smaller ones left stumps  

hence a math teacher named nathan roberts stepped  in with a solution a giant stump remover powered  

by a team of oxen this contraption increased  the amount of removed stumps per day tenfold  

from 4 to 40. by independence day 1817 the first  ground that would make up the waterway broke work  

began on digging the canal near rome new york this  90-mile strip was towards the center of the canal  

with the least number of natural obstacles for  the trench any rocky cliffs or swamps would make  

carving the channel infinitely more challenging so  they were actively avoiding them wherever possible  

initially the state contracted local landowners  to hire their workforce for clearing land  

40 feet wide four feet deep and holding tow  towpaths on either side one would think that  

a state government suddenly forcing landowners  to distribute a payroll would be very unpopular  

but many were excited about the project having an  extremely lucrative trade path in their backyards  

was a dream for some and they were willing to  break the bank to realize it wages were 50 cents  

to a dollar today which translates to around 11  to 22 dollars in today's money the first days  

were excruciatingly slow every day starting  in 1818 would see only a few feet excavated  

despite the efforts of 3 000 men and 700 horses  every day endeavoring to speed it up by 1819 the  

utica river now known as mohawk river connected  with the seneca river however that milestone  

marked the end of the easy part now the canal  face carving a path through the montezuma swamps  

notorious for its disease written mosquitoes it  was here that the promises of lucrative trade  

routes stopped being worth the risk and many  contractors abandoned the project the state  

had hit yet another dead end most of the canal was  yet to be carved but contractors were walking out  

where workers were once everywhere they now had  a significant vacancy thankfully for the state  

1820 saw a massive influx of irish immigrants into  new york suddenly thousands of people were fresh  

off the boat from across the atlantic and looking  for any kind of work out there and their vacancies  

seemed very welcoming the key word here is seemed  welcoming as the canal progressed into the swamps  

malaria began claiming lives of workers in droves  thousands of irish immigrants passed away from  

what they knew as genesee fever but the project  continued as usual at the beginning of the year  

the canal commission reported that three quarters  of the canal team were americans by the following  

year there were so many irish on this project  that they outnumbered even the local populations  

anti-irish and anti-catholic sentiment flared in  these regions and their treatment reflected it  

on top of dealing with constant fights the  irish had wages of only 12 dollars a month or  

264 dollars in today's money and apparently some  were paid in whiskey despite their treatment the  

irish persevered they quickly gained a reputation  for doing all the most demanding and dangerous  

work that nobody else wanted or could do blasting  open the canal's path often involved black powder  

which was known for its unpredictability and  could claim dozens of lives if it was placed  

even slightly incorrectly and the irish worked  with it regardless at last the canal commission  

came to the final challenge and the most difficult  of them all the niagara escarpment the same rock  

formation that makes up the niagara falls this  was an unavoidable 70-foot tall cliff blocking the  

path to lake erie the standard canal locks only  went up 15 feet at most so this was the biggest  

challenge and the final hurdle and many had  absolutely no idea how to approach it fortunately  

nathan roberts had an innovative solution why not  just make multiple locks he drew up plans for a  

staircase of boats made up of five locks providing  just the right altitude to scale up the escarpment  

this design proved so successful that the nearby  town changed its name in celebration lockport  

however there was still one question where  would they get all the water for these locks  

the solution seemed obvious lake erie was right  there however the niagara escarpment was pure  

bedrock the only way to clear path was black  powder so up step the irish to blast the seven  

mile path from lockport to the lake  to avoid using black power the entire  

time the irish also heated the bedrock with fire  and poured ice-cold water on it to crack the rocks  

which they could then clean as usual however  the bedrock wouldn't pose the only challenge  

more anti-irish sentiment found a home in  lockport as well leading to a violent riot in 1822  

anyhow the irish would finish the deep cut and  many chose to settle in lockport forming a proud  

irish settlement in upstate new york by 1825 the  canal commission had done the impossible the new  

waterway was immediately put into use in trade  and transport rapidly becoming a vital artery  

in the american expansion westward the first boat  to traverse the grand canal was the seneca chief  

and aboard it was senator dewitt clinton eager to  travel through what was once called the wits folly  

through the erie canal the great lakes had a link  to new york city harbor which proved invaluable  

for cities like chicago and detroit it had become  so successful that an extension of 70 feet wide  

and seven feet deep was necessary within a decade  of its opening the rest of the world was in utter  

disbelief what was once called impossible and  insane had been done in little over a decade  

the erie canal was the first major industrial  undertaking of the united states and something  

that the rest of the world had never seen before  even more importantly the canal solidified new  

york city as the united states commercial capital  believe it or not before 1825 philadelphia  

boston and new orleans were more important now  thanks to the new canal a boat could sail from  

the great lakes to the atlantic ocean in 10 days  new york suddenly became the gateway to the west  

for the rest of the world as time went on the  19th century would not see an engineering feat  

nearly as enormous and successful as the erie  canal the once self-made bunch of engineers that  

developed the canal had now become graduates  of the so-called erie school of engineering  

initially just a figure of speech that quantified  the sheer amount of learning and experience they  

underwent to create the canal however it became  literal as in 1824 a school of engineering took  

root at the mouth of the erie canal in a town  called troy new york this school would become  

known as the rensselaer polytechnic institute  the nation's first civil engineering institute  

even though other routes of transport now exist  the erie canal is still in frequent use as larger  

boats than ever before still pass its waters the  historic marvel is also a popular destination for  

tourist boats like kayaks and canoes which  travelers use to traverse these waterways  

consider what a special notion that is this is one  of the few pieces of industry the us has from the  

1800s still in use and unlike many of our lost  marvels people still adore it the united states  

of america is a truly unique nation but in some  ways the erie canal was one of the first times  

it showed what it was made of from its engineers  to the irish ditch diggers it's a testament that  

when you empower a basic man with a vision his  capability might even surprise the president  

of the republic with new york as an international  entryway the united states would call to the world  

give me your tired your poor your huddled masses  yearning to breathe free i lift my lamp beside the  

golden door for many perhaps that golden door led  straight to the erie canal before you go subscribe  

don't miss our video about the lost canals  of new jersey this is ryan socash signing off