User:Randyhoffman/Sandbox Erie Canal

United States   Migration    Canals    New York    Erie Canal

The Erie Canal in New York allowed boats from New York City on the Hudson Riverto reach rural upstate New York and Lake Erie. Eventually the Great Lakeswere also connected to the Ohio River and Mississippi River systems by other canals. As canals developed in America settlers were attracted to nearby communities because the canals provided access to markets. They could sell their products at distant markets, and buy products made far away. If an ancestor settled near a canal, you may be able to trace back to a place of origin on a connecting waterway.