2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal, the waterway connecting Lake Erie to the Hudson River, New York City, and the Atlantic Ocean. The canal slashed the time and cost it took to transport people and products across upstate New York, helping to hasten westward expansion and industrialization and built New York City into the financial capital of the United States.
Matthew Smith, a professor of history at Miami University of Ohio, wrote about the Erie Canal for The Conversation. GLN News Editor Lisa John Rogers spoke with smith about how the canal shaped the world we live in.
Learn more about the Erie Canal at https://GreatLakesNow.org/ErieCanal
#Erie #LakeErie #History #NewYork #ErieCanal #GreatLakes
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00:00 Why was the Erie Canal Built?
03:13 Who lead the way for its construction?
05:45 How was the canal built?
07:32 How popular was the project?
09:38 How did the canal shape American identity?
14:19 The Erie Canal’s Legacy
16:43 Learn More
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Produced by
Adam Fox-Long
Hosted by
Lisa John Rogers
Camera
Adam Fox-Long
Edited by
Bill Allesee
Additional Materials
New York Public Library
Library of Congress
David Rumsey Map Collection