What was the most innovative technology used in the creation of the Erie Canal?
While there were some innovative tools (stump puller, for instance), most of the construction of the canal depended on methods and tools that were centuries old. What was path-breaking was the way that technology was integrated into what one historian called "the enterprise of a free people". Never before in the United States had government so successfully organized the planning, design, construction and operation of such a large public works. There was no good past experience, certainly no books or schools to turn to. You can see it in the manuscripts at the State Archives as the canal officials handwrite contracts and other accounts, gradually learning "on the job". As they gained experience, the State's canal engineers and administrators developed "best practices" that fostered the development of the entire nation, creating an American corps of engineering. Hundreds of contractors employing thousands of laborers depended on a state government knowing how to use the technology to build something that was far beyond the dreams of an earlier generation.
The hydrology of the Erie Canal is another remarkable part of the Canal's technology. How do you keep water in the canal at a consistent depth? How do you keep too much water out of the canal? Where will the water come from? Answering these questions entailed learning the geography of Upstate New York.
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How does the Erie Canal compare to other large public works projects in America, such as the Hoover Dam?
The inspiration for the Erie Canal came from political need more than engineering capabilities. The most important goal of the State officials such as DeWitt Clinton was to unite the fledgling republic. They wanted to secure the allegiance of the new settlements in western New York and beyond, keeping them from aligning with then more commercially viable markets along the Saint Lawrence River to the north. We had just fought a war with British Canada along that route.
Yes, such public works as Hoover Dam or the TVA had similar social aspects in their decision making. The Erie Canal is perhaps more important in that it solved truly national problems, not just regional.
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What do you believe were the most challenging problems faced in the construction of the canal?
The sheer magnitude in terms of distance and complexity were the greatest challenges. To build a town hall or a church in a community was often daunting to a local citizenry in the 1820s. With the Erie Canal, State officials were proposing to build the equivalent along nearly four hundred miles of often uncharted wilderness. Just reaching some of the places to look and see, much less design and build, was challenging. Getting everyone on the same page at the same time must have seemed almost impossible.
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What do you believe are the most important lasting effects of the canal? Are any of these effects prevalent today?
That we have a "United" States of America is the Erie Canal's most important and lasting impact. Without the Erie, the Midwest may have oriented to British Canada. The heartland of the county may have channeled its products and hopes down the Mississippi to New Orleans, instead of to the Northeast. Had it done so,the Civil War may have turned out differently.
Just within New York State, the Erie Canal defined the cultural landscape. Upstate New York and New York City were shaped by the route of the Erie Canal.
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Is there anything you would like to add pertaining to the exploration encounter or exchange involving the Erie Canal?
The Erie Canal was not built by a downsized state government. It was not built by private enterprise. It was built by the "people of the State of New York", as was so often proclaimed on the 19th-century canal manuscripts. The people of the New York State recognized that government had an essential and unique role in improving and expanding opportunities for all. They expected and demanded that involvement. They were very proud of what they had accomplished through their government.
While there were some innovative tools (stump puller, for instance), most of the construction of the canal depended on methods and tools that were centuries old. What was path-breaking was the way that technology was integrated into what one historian called "the enterprise of a free people". Never before in the United States had government so successfully organized the planning, design, construction and operation of such a large public works. There was no good past experience, certainly no books or schools to turn to. You can see it in the manuscripts at the State Archives as the canal officials handwrite contracts and other accounts, gradually learning "on the job". As they gained experience, the State's canal engineers and administrators developed "best practices" that fostered the development of the entire nation, creating an American corps of engineering. Hundreds of contractors employing thousands of laborers depended on a state government knowing how to use the technology to build something that was far beyond the dreams of an earlier generation.
The hydrology of the Erie Canal is another remarkable part of the Canal's technology. How do you keep water in the canal at a consistent depth? How do you keep too much water out of the canal? Where will the water come from? Answering these questions entailed learning the geography of Upstate New York.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
How does the Erie Canal compare to other large public works projects in America, such as the Hoover Dam?
The inspiration for the Erie Canal came from political need more than engineering capabilities. The most important goal of the State officials such as DeWitt Clinton was to unite the fledgling republic. They wanted to secure the allegiance of the new settlements in western New York and beyond, keeping them from aligning with then more commercially viable markets along the Saint Lawrence River to the north. We had just fought a war with British Canada along that route.
Yes, such public works as Hoover Dam or the TVA had similar social aspects in their decision making. The Erie Canal is perhaps more important in that it solved truly national problems, not just regional.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
What do you believe were the most challenging problems faced in the construction of the canal?
The sheer magnitude in terms of distance and complexity were the greatest challenges. To build a town hall or a church in a community was often daunting to a local citizenry in the 1820s. With the Erie Canal, State officials were proposing to build the equivalent along nearly four hundred miles of often uncharted wilderness. Just reaching some of the places to look and see, much less design and build, was challenging. Getting everyone on the same page at the same time must have seemed almost impossible.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
What do you believe are the most important lasting effects of the canal? Are any of these effects prevalent today?
That we have a "United" States of America is the Erie Canal's most important and lasting impact. Without the Erie, the Midwest may have oriented to British Canada. The heartland of the county may have channeled its products and hopes down the Mississippi to New Orleans, instead of to the Northeast. Had it done so,the Civil War may have turned out differently.
Just within New York State, the Erie Canal defined the cultural landscape. Upstate New York and New York City were shaped by the route of the Erie Canal.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Is there anything you would like to add pertaining to the exploration encounter or exchange involving the Erie Canal?
The Erie Canal was not built by a downsized state government. It was not built by private enterprise. It was built by the "people of the State of New York", as was so often proclaimed on the 19th-century canal manuscripts. The people of the New York State recognized that government had an essential and unique role in improving and expanding opportunities for all. They expected and demanded that involvement. They were very proud of what they had accomplished through their government.