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The Conversation USA

The Erie Canal: How a ‘big ditch’ transformed America’s economy, culture and even religion

  • Written by Matthew Smith, Visiting Assistant Professor of History, Miami University
imageThe Erie Canal, seen here in Pittsford, N.Y., opened up western regions to trade, immigration and social change.Andre Carrotflower via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Two hundred years ago, on Oct. 26, 1825, New York Gov. DeWitt Clinton boarded a canal boat by the shores of Lake Erie. Amid boisterous festivities, his vessel, the Seneca Chief, embarked...

Read more: The Erie Canal: How a ‘big ditch’ transformed America’s economy, culture and even religion

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