Erie Canal: Quick Facts

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Did You Know?

While it was being constructed, political rivals New York City mayor Dewitt Clinton labeled the Erie Canal as "Clinton's Folly" and "Clinton's ditch."
62% of the United States' trade went through the Erie Canal in 1853.
The Erie Canal was entirely constructed without dynamite.

Photos

Map showing the route of the Erie Canal across New York state, running from Buffalo on Lake Erie in the west through cities including Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany, and ending at the Hudson River near Troy and Cohoes. The map also highlights nearby lakes, connecting canals, and major waterways in the region.

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Erie Canal construction

Wood engraving by Philip Meeder showing Governor DeWitt Clinton of New York on a platform, pouring water from a keg as a crowd watches, with ships and an American flag in the background.

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