Not only did the
Erie Canal ship goods from farmers
but it also offered a quicker passage from Western New York to New York City and vice verse. In order to travel from Lake Erie to New York City before the canal, it took around 50 days and cost around $150.
How did the Erie Canal affect transportation?
The Erie Canal also provided an economic boost to the entire United States
by allowing the transport of goods at one-tenth the previous cost
in less than half the previous time. By 1853, the Erie Canal carried 62 percent of all U.S. trade.
Did the Erie Canal lower shipping costs?
SUCCESS. The Erie Canal reduced travel time in half,
and slashed shipping costs 90%
. The typical cost for moving goods over land was $100 per ton; via the canal, the cost was $10 per ton.
Why did the price of goods fall when the Erie Canal opened?
Answer: One reason that food prices dropped when the Erie Canal opened was
that the cost of transporting food was reduced by using this waterway
. The canal of 1825 made the cost of moving goods from inland to seaports faster and cheaper.
Did the Erie Canal reduced travel time?
SUCCESS. The Erie Canal
reduced travel time in half
, and slashed shipping costs 90%. The typical cost for moving goods over land was $100 per ton; via the canal, the cost was $10 per ton. Within 10 years of the canal’s opening, that cost had further dropped to $4 per ton.
Is Erie Canal still used?
Some parts were rerouted to make way for more ship traffic in 1918.
Portions of the original canal are still operable
, though tourism is now the main source of boat traffic along the Erie Canal.
How many Irish died building the Erie Canal?
While there are no official records of immigrant deaths,
somewhere between 8,000 and 30,000
are believed to have perished in the building of the New Basin Canal, many of whom are buried in unmarked graves in the levee and roadway fill beside the canal.
What are 3 major cities today that the Erie Canal ran through?
The impact on the rest of the State can be seen by looking at a modern map. With the exception of Binghamton and Elmira, every major city in New York falls along the trade route established by the Erie Canal, from
New York City to Albany, through Schenectady, Utica and Syracuse, to Rochester and Buffalo
.
How long did it take to dig Erie Canal?
After
more than two years
of digging, the 425-mile Erie Canal was opened on October 26, 1825, by Governor Clinton. The effect of the canal was immediate and dramatic.
How much did the Erie Canal cost in today’s money?
For example, the Erie Canal was completed in 1807 at a cost of $7,000,000. How much is that in today’s money? We might use consumer prices to get a figure of
$98.7 million
.
Can you swim in the Erie Canal?
Beneath the seemingly calm surface of the Erie Canal, dangers lurk.
State law prohibits swimming, diving or fishing in any canal lock chambers
, from the lock walls or from any other canal structure. …
Does the Erie Canal freeze?
Because it was so shallow,
the Canal could freeze very quickly
, trapping boats in ice. But the frozen canal also created many opportunities for recreation, such as ice skating at the widewaters or the aqueduct.
How did they dig the Erie Canal?
Instead, the thickly forested land was cleared and the 40-foot wide canal was dug and the locks were constructed by the
raw manpower of an estimated 50,000 laborers
, including a large contingent of recently arrived Irish immigrants.
How deep is the Erie Canal now?
| JUST THE FACTS | Canal dimensions, 1918- present Erie Barge Canal 12-23 ft deep x 120-200 ft wide; locks 310 ft long | Cost to build $7,143,789 | Return on Investment 10 years | Number of aqueducts to bypass rivers and streams 18 |
|---|
How do ships go around Niagara Falls?
Because the falls have to be bypassed, large ships that ply Lakes Erie and Ontario do so
by means of the Welland Canal
. The first Welland Canal was built in 1829. You can see ships travel through the Welland Canal at Lock 3 in Thorold where there is a viewing platform. …
Is the Erie Canal man made?
Built between 1817 and 1825
, the original Erie Canal traversed 363 miles from Albany to Buffalo. It was the longest artificial waterway and the greatest public works project in North America.
