Erie canal

Improvements in transportation also helped American industries to grow. Between 1800 and 1850, crews built thousands of miles of roads and canals. The canals connected lakes and rivers. This opened new shipping routes.

Steam boats were invented. Robert Fulton was the creator of the steamboat named the Clermont.

In the 1840s, builders began to widen and deepen canals to make space for steamboats. By 1860, about 3,000 steamboats traveled the country's major rivers and canals. This caused the growth of cities such as Cincinnati, Buffalo, and Chicago.

People in the western parts of the country were greatly affected by the improvements to transportation. Before canals and railroads, farmers sent their crops down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. This took a lot of time and often made goods more expensive.

The Erie Canal would connect the markets of the Midwest region, to the Hudson River and finally to New York City along the Atlantic Ocean. Thousands of workers, especially Irish immigrants, built the Erie Canal. The Erie Canal opened in 1825 and caused New York City to become the largest city in the nation.

The Erie Canal and the new railroads transformed, trade in these regions. These Improvements helped businesses and consumers. Farmers and manufacturers could move goods faster and more cheaply. The Erie Canal connected the markets of the Midwest region, to the Hudson River and finally to New York City along the Atlantic Ocean. Irish immigrants, built the Erie Canal. The Erie Canal opened in 1825 and New York City became the largest city in the nation.