WCNY CPB
The Impact of the Erie Canal on America

Environmental Effects: Primary Source Analysis

Examine the image below and consider the ways in which people building the Erie Canal changed their environment during canal construction.

No matter which of the three versions of the Erie Canal was involved—the original ditch begun in 1817, the enlarged Erie of the mid-1800s, and the 1918 Erie Canal—there were similar environment effects, including the stripping land of trees shown in this photo.  

Historic photograph from 1906 of land clearing
Photograph shows a flat stretch of formerly wooded land that has been cut down. The cut logs have been moved into small piles, with bare soil showing between the piles. A few tall trees are left standing in the distance.

Take Notes

Based on the image above, in two sentences, describe the ways in which people changed the environment with the creation of the Erie Canal.