USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The Page 4 year 1817 saw the beginning of the canal’s construction. When the canal was opened in 1825, shipping traffic on the Hudson River ballooned as a result. The canal connected Lake Erie with the Hudson River, enabling cargo to travel efficiently between Ohio and New York City.

Detailed explanation-2: -But the construction of the Erie Canal gave New York City (via the Hudson River) direct water access to the Great Lakes and regions of the Midwest.

Detailed explanation-3: -The completion of the Erie Canal spurred the first great westward movement of American settlers, gave access to the rich land and resources west of the Appalachians and made New York the preeminent commercial city in the United States.

Detailed explanation-4: -In 1807, Robert Fulton’s steamboat, the Clermont, became the first commercial steamboat transporting goods and people up and down the Mississippi River.

Detailed explanation-5: -Adding steam engines accelerated rail’s advantage over canal and river shipping. Over 9, 000 miles of track had been laid by 1850, most of it connecting the northeast with western farmlands.