Water and wealth: the story of the Erie Canal

Erie Barge Canal - Baldwinsville
Originally uploaded by dennieorson

When the people of NY state agreed to build the Erie Canal (early 1800's) they began to connect the resources of the Great lakes region (ore, timber, furs, mfg goods, etc) to NYC harbor, one of the world's great crossroads of trade.

The Erie Canal connected to the Hudson River, which flowed into NY harbor.

Wealth was created for people all along the Hudson valley and along the almost 400-mile length of the Erie Canal. The wealth of Great Lakes farmers and traders was also increased. Most of all, it helped the harbor at NYC become one of the world's richest ports.

Map sketch -
* 5 Great lakes (don't foget Mrs. Smheo)
* 6 states (the 5 states surrounding NY)
* Atlantic
* Canada
- Map quiz, 13 items, on Thurs.

How Louisiana and Shreveport could improve their practice of Water makes Wealth:
1. Develop the shores of Cross Lake. Improved parks and launch sites could bring tourism and improved quality of life for locals. Example? See Lake Ouachita or Lake Catherine in Arkansas.
2. Develop the final segment of I-49, a modern Erie Canal.
3. Continue development on the shores of the Red River.

Vocab:
The late Ted Kennedy was an august senator from Massachusetts.
Here the word august means "honored," "important."

Wikipedia:
The Erie Canal is a man-made waterway in New York that runs about 363 miles from Albany on the Hudson River to Buffalo at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. First proposed in 1808, it opened[1] on October 26, 1825.

It was the first transportation system between the eastern seaboard (New York City) and the western interior (Great Lakes) of the United States that did not require portage, was faster than carts pulled by draft animals, and cut transport costs by about 95%. The canal fostered a population surge in western New York state, opened regions further west to settlement, and helped New York City become the chief U.S. port.