The booming economy of the United States also encouraged the building of canals. In 1816 President James Madison called for the federal government to sponsor a network of canals linked to a network of roads. He believed that economic growth would follow such a transportation web. New York governor
DeWitt Clinton jumped on the idea when he proposed the construction of America's famous Erie Canal. Although costly and difficult to build, canals were supposed to be quicker and easier routes than the bumpy, muddy roads. The stunning success of the Erie Canal in New York encouraged other states to
view canals as an essential element of development. State officials hoped these canals would promote rapid settlement in the Northwest and strengthen regional economies. While the Erie Canal was state-funded, most of the canal projects in the West relied more heavily on federal support and private funding, because the new states had few sources of capital. One of the few states to succeed on the New York model, Ohio began to construct a canal system the year before the Erie Canal was completed.
By 1833, 341 miles of canal had been built from Portsmouth (on the Ohio River) to Cleveland and from Cincinnati to Dayton. This canal system raised land values and increased settlement and commerce. Many states defaulted on loans they had taken out to build canals. The panic of 1837 along with risky and unsound planning caused many improvement projects to fail. Nevertheless, traveling by canal or by Robert Fulton's new steamboats was the fastest, most efficient method of transportation until the 1840s, triggering rapid development in the trans-Appalachian West.
Holtkamp Gervase, Samantha. "transportation in the 19th century." In Waugh, John, and Gary B. Nash, eds. Encyclopedia of American History: Civil War and Reconstruction, 1856 to 1869, Revised Edition (Volume V). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHV291&SingleRecord=True(accessed April 10, 2013).
McConnell, Eleanor H. "internal improvements during the antebellum period." In Rohrbough, Malcolm J., and Gary B. Nash, eds. Encyclopedia of American History: Expansion and Reform, 1813 to 1855, Revised Edition (Volume IV). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc.
http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHIV131&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 9, 2013).
DeWitt Clinton jumped on the idea when he proposed the construction of America's famous Erie Canal. Although costly and difficult to build, canals were supposed to be quicker and easier routes than the bumpy, muddy roads. The stunning success of the Erie Canal in New York encouraged other states to
view canals as an essential element of development. State officials hoped these canals would promote rapid settlement in the Northwest and strengthen regional economies. While the Erie Canal was state-funded, most of the canal projects in the West relied more heavily on federal support and private funding, because the new states had few sources of capital. One of the few states to succeed on the New York model, Ohio began to construct a canal system the year before the Erie Canal was completed.
By 1833, 341 miles of canal had been built from Portsmouth (on the Ohio River) to Cleveland and from Cincinnati to Dayton. This canal system raised land values and increased settlement and commerce. Many states defaulted on loans they had taken out to build canals. The panic of 1837 along with risky and unsound planning caused many improvement projects to fail. Nevertheless, traveling by canal or by Robert Fulton's new steamboats was the fastest, most efficient method of transportation until the 1840s, triggering rapid development in the trans-Appalachian West.
Holtkamp Gervase, Samantha. "transportation in the 19th century." In Waugh, John, and Gary B. Nash, eds. Encyclopedia of American History: Civil War and Reconstruction, 1856 to 1869, Revised Edition (Volume V). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHV291&SingleRecord=True(accessed April 10, 2013).
McConnell, Eleanor H. "internal improvements during the antebellum period." In Rohrbough, Malcolm J., and Gary B. Nash, eds. Encyclopedia of American History: Expansion and Reform, 1813 to 1855, Revised Edition (Volume IV). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc.
http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE52&iPin=EAHIV131&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 9, 2013).