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The Erie Canal, and other regional canals, really didn't have much impact nationally - but they did help their regions to prosper. The heyday for canals was in Britain in the mid to late 1700s, where they provided cheap and reliable transportation in regions where there were no - or very bad - roads. With a dirt road, a wagon drawn by oxen was cumbersome and slow, and couldn't carry very much. If it rained, the roads turned to mud, and nothing moved for days or weeks. With a canal, a single mule could pull several TONS, and if it rained, the canal got even better!

The Erie Canal was one of the few commercial canals built in the United States. First proposed in 1808, the canal linked Lake Erie on the west to the Hudson River on the east. Raw materials from the "west" - that's western New York State - could easily be transported to New York and the factories that lined the Hudson. And finished goods could easily be brought back "west".

Because of the elevation changes, a number of locks were required; this slowed down the canal boats. With the advent of the railroads, the canals became obsolete. Trains can easily climb shallow grades, while even small elevation changes required another lock. And it was easier to lay tracks than to dig a canal.

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What helped build the Erie canal?

money was sold to the government to help build the erie canal


Would the Erie Canal help Canada?

the Erie Canal only helped New York get transpertation and other things.


Did federal money help speed the production of the erie canal?

No federal money did not help speed the production of the Erie Canal. President James Monroe vetoed giving federal money to the canal.


How did the Erie Canal help Chicago and Cleveland?

Many of the immigrants that traveled the Erie Canal ended up in cities like Cleveland and Chicago. Some of the workers of the Erie Canal also worked on canals in Ohio and the Illinois Michigan canal near Chicago.


What is an example of a canal in north America?

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Did they use machines to build the Erie Canal?

They didn't have earth moving machines back then. The Erie Canal was dug by hand with some animal help.


How did the building of the Erie Canal help farmers in the interior of the country?

It helped them because it was the fastest and cheapest way.


How did the building of Erie canal help farmers in the interior of the country?

It helped them because it was the fastest and cheapest way.


How did the Erie canal help make the US money?

The Erie Canal connected the Great Lakes and the interior of an undeveloped nation to the rivers leading to the cities of the East coast, primarily New York. This made shipping things like food, furs, etc. faster and cheaper than before.


Did people live in the boats that traveled the Erie Canal?

According to the Erie Canal web site: " In many cases, the boats were also home for a family, as the father would captain the boat, the mother would be the cook, and the children would play or help out as needed."


How did the Erie canal help trade?

The canal connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. This connection made it much easier for ships to make it from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, which made transport and shipping much faster.


How fast is Erie Canal?

The speed of water flow in the Erie Canal varies depending on factors such as location and weather conditions, but on average, it flows at about 2 to 4 miles per hour. This relatively slow speed is suitable for the canal's primary use for navigation and transport. The canal's design includes locks that help manage water levels and flow rates, facilitating the movement of boats and barges.