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The Impact of the Erie Canal on America

Building the Canal

Read the following article to see the limited critical tools canal builders had on hand as they built the first version of the Erie Canal. As you are reading, you will notice several highlighted terms that may be unfamiliar to you. Immediately following each highlighted word you will find a definition or explanation.   

Building the "Grand Canal" 318.6 KB

View this image, a small sample of the many construction drawings and plans used to build the Erie Canal and structures like locks. Notice the difference in size of the locks for each of the three versions of the Erie Canal.

Erie Canal plans showing the difference in size of locks for the three versions of the Erie Canal.
An image of plans and sections of New York State canal locks showing an increase in size as they were successively built. Each canal section is larger than the last.

Click on the image above to see it larger.

Take Notes

Fill in the chart below with the steps taken to build the Erie Canal.