In 1808, New York's governor, DeWitt Clinton, believed that building a canal through the state would create a better way to reach the Northwest Territory. This canal would allow boats to travel from the Great Lakes to New York City. There, goods—products to be bought and sold—could be loaded onto ships that carried them to countries across the oceans. He believed that this would make New York a commercial center for the world.

Nothing like this had been done before, and some people didn't think it was possible. The canal project was nicknamed "Clinton's Big Ditch." Clinton had to fight hard to get money for the job, but he was successful. Construction began in 1817.