The Erie Canal is a canal built in New York State, USA in the first half of the 18th century. It connects the Hudson River and Lake Erie, and connects the Great Lakes of North America and the Atlantic waters. It is an important part of the east coast and west inland transportation of the United States. hub. The construction of the Erie Canal has promoted the development of trade, economy, politics, and culture in the Midwest of the United States. It is of extraordinary significance to the development of the United States, and it has made outstanding contributions to its city, New York. This article mainly analyzes and discusses the reasons for the construction of the canal and its impact on New York State.
The United States has a vast land and resources, but is subject to traffic restrictions.
The North American continent is very rich in resources, especially its hinterland, vast plains, fertile fields, and Britain’s use of North America as a colony. The resources have a great relationship. After the United States became independent, people were free and determined to use these advantages to create a prosperous country. However, they soon discovered that the east-west terrain was haunting their traffic.
The north-south Alabachia Mountains separate the Atlantic Ocean from New York. If people want to go out, not only the cost is high, but it also takes at least one month to go by land. The east coast of the United States is connected to the United Kingdom. Since its independence has just not been long, the foundation is not stable, and trade exchanges are still largely restricted by the United Kingdom, which is not conducive to the development of the US economy.
So the Americans thought of the waterway: if the Great Lakes and the Atlantic waters are connected, the high transportation cost from the east coast to the west can be reduced, thereby promoting trade between the two places, and bringing the developed industrial and commercial areas on the east coast to the central The combination of abundant raw materials in the plains is very necessary for the country's economic development, and it can also cut off Britain's restrictions on trade on the eastern coast.
The plan to build a canal was put forward during the War of Independence, and it was repeatedly shelved due to war issues. It was not until 1817 that New York Governor Clinton applied to the federal government for a canal fund and elaborated on the necessity of building the Erie Canal for the United States. With the support of the federal government and the collective efforts of the American people, it was finally completed in 1825. The Erie Canal, which changed the national transport of the United States, has since become a whole in the eastern and midwestern United States.
Second territorial expansion and localism prevail
When the United States declared its independence, there were only 13 states. At this time, the economic backwardness and small land area allowed the United States to pass Lead the way to expand to acquire more land. With this method of warfare, the United States has obtained more than 2.3 million square kilometers of land along the Atlantic coast that the United Kingdom has ceded. The "sun never sets empire" is gradually going downhill, while the United States of America has gradually emerged.
Since then, Tujia's territory and economic strength have gradually increased. Not only bought Louisiana from Napoleon, but also Florida from Spain. The sudden increase in the area of the territory made the Americans realize that the connection between the East Coast and the Midwest Plains is very important for economic development.
At the same time, the prevalence of localism also indirectly promoted the construction of the Erie Canal. At the beginning of the founding of the United States, the loose confederation system left the entire Tujia in a fragmented situation. The weak central government was nameless, and 13 states acted independently. The degree of development and the gap between rich and poor in these states are very large, and fiscal power and politics are all controlled by themselves, which seriously affects the process of US reunification.
After a series of wars and the formulation of the US "Bill of Rights", the federal system was realized and the prestige of the central government was restored. The construction of the canal at this time not only made full use of the resources of the two places, but also boosted the economic strength of the United States. The eastern and central and western territories were closely connected, which promoted the unification of the country. Although localism was flourishing for a while, it must be strong after all. Bowed his head in front of the country.
三 "The Road Between the Blood" and the migration westward
During the American-British War of 1812, the Indians formed an alliance with the British army to fight the North American army according to tradition. After the war ended, the Americans moved all the Indians east of the Mississippi River to the west to avenge them for fighting for the British army. These people were forced to go to places designated for them by the Americans and were monitored.
After American President Andrew Jackson, who hated Indians, came to power, he passed the "Indian Deportation Act", forcing all Indians to move west, and the Americans let the Indian tribe chiefs cede more than 100 million acres of land. These lands are suitable for farming and living, and are used for white people to live, grow grains in the north, grow cotton in the south, vigorously develop agriculture, and lay the economic foundation for the construction of the canal. A large number of immigrants poured into the west. However, agriculture in the west is developed, but industry and commerce are not developed.
Based on this unbalanced development status, people strongly demand to improve the connection between the eastern coastal and inland regions, because the transportation cost of land transportation is high, although the United States won the war, However, the inconvenience of transportation has hindered economic development, and the construction of the canal has become a top priority. The Anglo-American War of 1812 and the westward migration of Indians drove the influx of immigrants and promoted the completion of the Erie Canal, enabling the United States to have a strong water transportation network and no longer need to rely on any country. The U.S. economy has shifted from relying on foreign markets to relying on its own domestic economy for its own development. Trade between the central and eastern regions has also changed from minimal to indivisible.
Four impact on New York
The opening of the Erie Canal has promoted the development of New York’s economy, combined the rich materials of the Midwest Plain with the developed industry and commerce of New York. Under the condition of unimpeded waterway transportation, a large number of The capital of New York continues to flow into New York, but the cost of transportation is much smaller than before. Due to the exchange of goods between the two places, New York’s port industry is also booming. New York quickly established its status as an economic and financial center. The famous Wall Street also emerged after the Erie Canal drove the economic development of New York.
The completion of the Erie Canal promoted the unification of the East Coast and Midwest of the United States. It was also an important factor in the implementation of the federal system in the United States. The federal government invested in the construction of the canal, developed the vast western plains, and increased the prestige of the federal government . At the same time, the construction of the Erie Canal played an important role in maintaining the political balance between regions.
Before the construction of the Erie Canal, trade in the northeast was restricted by the south. If the northeast expressed dissatisfaction with the trade obstacles in the south, and turned to cooperate with the west, then using its geographical advantage, the south could easily block the Mississippi The outlet of the Northwest River is the port of New Orleans. If the northeast and west want to change their routes to find other trade exports, it will be expensive. This has always been a headache for both places. However, after the successful construction of the Erie Canal, the influence of the south has gradually declined. Due to the long-term suppression of the Erie Canal, the east coast will naturally not be in alliance with it, while the west can become a political alliance with the two sides and become a balance of political regional balance.
In short, the completion of the Erie Canal changed the long-term control of shipping in the southern region, weakened the role of the Northwestern Mississippi River and the Port of New Orleans, and promoted New York economically. The status of the financial center, politically, the traditional southern suppression of the northeast is gone forever, promoting the formation of a new alliance between the west and the northeast. After that, the U.S. politics, economy, and culture developed rapidly and became the era of capitalism. One of the most powerful countries.
