Mobility
On February 20, 1816, the New York City Common Council wrote to the State Legislature in support of the creation of the Erie Canal.
The Council felt that a canal connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean “in the midst of this rising Empire, inspires the mind with the laudable desire, that this generation may at least, lay the foundation of so great a work, the completion of which in the opinion of the Common Council, must be a bond of Union – a source of prosperity and power...” Construction of the Erie Canal started the following year, on July 4th in Rome, NY.
