Construction+of+the+Erie+Canal

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the United States developed ways to improve transportation. They wanted to link Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes with the Atlantic Coast through a canal. The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that goes to the Hudson River, then to Buffalo to Lake Erie. This creates a water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. Wealthy farmers and immigrants were the ones who constructed the canal. The canal was finished on October 25, 1825. It cost 7 million dollars to build this but it lowered shipping costs a lot. DeWitt Clinton, often referred to as the "Father of the Erie Canal," served in the New York State Legislature and the U.S. Senate, and was Mayor of New York City and Governor of New York State. He strongly advocated building a canal through New York to connect the East with the Midwest, and became such a strong supporter of the plan that was refered to as "Clinton's Ditch". The construction of the Erie Canal was a way to improve transportation in the United States by connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast through a canal that reduced shipping costs in the U.S. Rosenberg, Matt. "ErieÂ Canal." //About.com Geography//. Geography Guide, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. .
 * Construction of the Erie Canal:**
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 * Sources:**

Sadowski, Frank E., Jr. "The Erie Canal." //The Erie Canal//. N.p., 2000-2012. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. .

"Erie Canal -- 175th Anniversary." //Erie Canal//. Union College, 2003. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. .