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Unit One: Introduction
The Erie Canal is placed in technological, historical and geographic context. Students are provided with the definition, purpose and history of canals. They learn that the Erie Canal connected major bodies of water in New York State, making it possible to travel entirely by water between New York City and the Great Lakes. The role of canals in national expansion beyond the Appalachian Mountains is explained. A map and timeline aid the discussion. Students are asked to consider the local benefits the Erie Canal was expected to bring to New York State, and the national benefits of canals in general. Regional competition for access to western commerce is discussed. Click here to download Introduction.
Unit Two: DeWitt Clinton and the Building of the Canal
As a notable Mayor of New York City and later Governor of New York State, DeWitt Clinton played a major role in the economic development of the city and state. New York City was already an important commercial and financial center before the canal was built, but Clinton realized the canal would make the city's position preeminent in the nation. Students will learn that "building" the canal was a long and difficult process. It involved raising money, working for political and popular consensus, and solving engineering problems. Construction was accomplished by heavy physical labor without the aid of modern machinery. Single individuals can play a crucial role in directing the course of events, but the canal was ultimately built through the efforts of many people of different backgrounds. Click here to download Page 1, and
here for Page 2.
Unit Three: The Grand Celebration: Processions on Water and Land
This lesson describes how New Yorkers celebrated the completion of the entire length of the canal in 1825. The celebration began with a flotilla of canal boats leaving Buffalo on October 26, arriving in New York Harbor on November 4th. The lesson describes the festivities (inviting comparisons with OpSail 2000) and the main event of the day, the Wedding of the Waters. The symbolism of pouring the keg of Lake Erie water into New York Harbor is explained. A map of the harbor helps students understand the location of events and illustrates the extensive waterfront of the present five boroughs. Click here to download Page 1, and
here for Page 2
Units Four and Five: Occupations in New York in 1825, and Doing Business in 1825
The November 4th parade included groups of marchers representing the working and professional classes that would benefit from increased commerce brought by the canal. Societies of artisans and professionals marched with banners and floats, similar to those found in parades today. Exercises use actual images from an 1825 account of the event to introduce students to the definition and importance of symbols, emblems and mottoes in explaining group identity. In both lessons, students are asked to consider the similarities and differences in occupations that existed in 1825 and those that exist today. Unit Five introduces students to the "city directory," an important primary source used by historians and genealogists to locate individuals and businesses in the past. The second exercise explores the use of symbols in advertisements. Students are asked to create an advertisement of their own, creating symbols for modern products. N.B.: A "mantua-maker" is a dress maker. Click here for Procession on Land (Page 1),
here for Procession on Land (Page 2),
here for Doing Business in 1825, and
here for Advertising a Product.
Unit Six: How Does A Loaded Canal Boat Go Uphill?
This unit explains why the channel of a canal can never go up or down hill. The solution to this problem of course, is the lock. The lesson goes on to explain how engineers were able to use canals to link points at different elevations. The students are presented with diagrams of a lock in action. They are asked to match the three diagrams with written descriptions of steps in the process of raising a boat in a lock. For a closer explanation of this process, click on this link. Students learn that boats moved by animal power rather than engine power - boats were pulled along the canal by mules on towpaths. This page is not currently available on-line.
Unit Seven: Lockport, New York and the Erie Canal
This section introduces students to the effects of the Erie Canal on upstate New York through by exploring the town of Lockport, New York. This town was built around an important set of locks on the Erie Canal. This lesson asks students to gain an understanding about the town, its industries and the canal through close observation of a 19th-century drawing of the town. Questions are provided to help lead the students' observations. A map is provided to help students locate Lockport and to reiterate the route of the Erie Canal. After studying the drawing, students are asked to draw a picture of their own community and answer similar questions. A modern photo of the same section of Lockport is provided so that students can see both how the town has changed and how it has remained the same. Click here to download the lesson, and
here for the drawing of Lockport.
Unit Eight: The Different Types of Canal Boats
This lesson discusses the different types of boats used for passengers and freight in the various phases of the canal's history. It also discusses how the canal was enlarged and technology improved with the introduction of steam power on the later, larger boats. The different types of cargo shipped to and from New York City are also discussed. Students are asked reading comprehension questions about the various types of boats, cargo and power sources. Students are also asked if they can identify the difference between the types of cargo shipped to and from New York. They should understand that agricultural goods were shipped to the city, and manufactured goods were shipped upstate. A word search game with vocabulary words is also provided. Page 1 is not currently available on-line; click
here for Page 2
Unit Nine: Traveling on the Canal
This lesson explains the canal's revolutionary impact on the speed and cost of travel for passengers and freight. (Teachers and students may wish to refer back to Unit Eight to look at the different kinds of boats.) Comparisons of distance and time are made for periods before and after the canal was built, as well as to the present day. The arrival of the railroad marked another leap forward in transportation history, and advantages and disadvantages of both systems are discussed. The exercise is based on an actual advertisement for passenger service on a canal boat and a State map. Students will use reading comprehension, math and map skills to answer questions. [N.B. The advertisement for the "Red Bird Line" has been slightly altered: the decimal points in the passage fares were represented as commas in the original, but have been changed to periods to follow modern convention.] Click here to download Page 1;
Page 2 is not currently available on-line.
Unit Ten: Canal Children and Canal Communities
In the 19th century, most canal boats were owned and operated by families. This unit describes what it was like to live and work on a canal boat, particularly for children. Manhattan and Brooklyn were important depots for canal boats, and many families wintered there so that children could attend school while the canal was closed. Students can explore the 1873 illustration of one such community to answer the questions. Click here to download Unit 10.
Unit Eleven: The Canal and New York City in the Twentieth Century
The story of the canal and its relationship with the City does not end with the 19th century. In the early 20th century, terminals were built throughout the City to handle flour and grain shipments brought by canal barges. Students learn about the changes in transportation technology that reduced shipping traffic on the canal, and the canal's transformation into a recreational waterway. The role of New York Harbor in making the City a national and international hub of commerce is emphasized. For more information on current use of the canal, visit the New York State Canal System website listed below. Click here to download Unit 11.
The Erie Canal Song
A popular 19th-century American folksong about the canal. The chorus "low bridge…" refers to the bridges that crossed the canal. Passengers often rode on the flat roof of the canal boat to get fresh air. They would have to duck when approaching a bridge to avoid getting hit or knocked off the boat. The Erie Canal Song is not currently available on-line.
