Construction on The Erie Canal

Paragraph on Early Plans:
              The origins of the Erie Canal can be related to early canals constructed in Europe such as Britain’s Bridgewater Canal, and France’s Canal du Midi which brought inspiration to other parts around the globe. These early inspirations extended towards America with Gouverneur Morris’s return from Europe which led to the creation of the Western and Northern Inland Lock Companies of 1792 (incorporated by the state of New York). These Inland lock companies set out to improve navigation along the Mohawk River between the Hudson River and Lakes Ontario and Seneca. Eventually, the end goal would be to connect these waterways but it failed because its funds were insufficient. From this failure, Jesse Hawley, a flour merchant who became bankrupt after his investment in flour in areas the canal would have been was thrown into debtor’s prison. This triggered him to write essays about the advantages of a canal and a meticulous plan to connect Lake Erie and the Hudson River. Subsequently, these circumstances motivated politicians like DeWitt Clinton to build the Erie Canal and spawned a miniature canal era in the U.S.

A Clip on The Advantages and Disadvantages of Canals
This clip is provided by the Erie Canal Mueseum