Erie Canal: America's Empire Builder

[@ellicurus]

When I was in school in NY I swear we learned far more about the Erie Canal in more classes than the Statue of Liberty. We went on field trips to the dams, we jet skied up the locks, we learned guitar to songs about it, and we had map drawing contests of it every October. We learned about it in different ways in science, social studies, technology, art, music, and read stories and nonfiction and wrote poems about it in English classes.

[@meyou6556]

The canal was far more useful that the statue of liberty

[@johannatrahan6613]

I can still sing that song they taught us.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

5:35 - Chapter 1 - The mohawk valley 9:55 - Chapter 2 - The erie canal commission 13:40 - Chapter 3 - Confronting the impossible 20:50 - Chapter 4 - Connecting the sections 23:45 - Chapter 5 - The impact of the canal 28:35 - Conclusion

[@PhilBertran]

Anyone else still have the lyrics to 'The Erie Canal' from elementary school stuck in their head despite not hearing it for over 30 years?

[@robertlussier2944]

I've got a mule, her name is Sal

[@greatsilentwatcher]

Low bridge is an alert in Pittsford when riding the Colonial Belle going west.

[@BigGahmBoss]

Yes lol. And it's playing on repeat in my brainmeats throughout this video

[@bradlevantis913]

It really was an impressive project whose impact never seems to get as much credit. Very similar to the Welland Canal that connects the upper Great Lakes with Lake Ontario and the Atlantic Ocean

[@trumpetmom8924]

Pretty much every kid in NY music classes has sung “The Erie Canal” at least once, if not every year, of their time in elementary music, and the song is included in almost every band/orchestra method book. (Sorry. Music teacher, couldn’t resist. Grew up in the greater Syracuse area; learned about the canal almost every year in elementary school.) Interesting fact: a massive section of the canal through Syracuse was filled in and is now Erie Boulevard in East Syracuse. I rode and drove on it for several years before I realized that it was originally part of the canal’s path.

[@adrientucker5949]

I learned the song around 1980 as a kid in San Antonio, TX. Have lived in and around Rochester, NY since '88. Parts of the canal here have also been altered into highways and other non-water things. Never forgot the song though. Low bridge...

[@kmdkrohn]

Part 2 interesting fact: Erie Blvd in Schenectady is part of the canal that was filled in. GE sits at the start of it, and they change their sign's logo colors with the holidays!

[@greatsilentwatcher]

I grew up a mile east of Bushnell's Basin and daily life was always a trip over or near the canal next to the Great Embankment. I still live in the Rochester area and the canal is pretty much a simple backdrop amid going from one place to another. We love it just the same a celebrate its presence with trips on the Colonial Belle and visits to the canal parks. Seems like it never left my life. I lived near Albion for a few years. Driving back and forth to Rochester meant crossing the canal at several places along the way. It's cool to think that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had been considering the idea of building it. Thanks for making this video.

[@lamplighter5545]

You can tour a section of the (new) Erie Canal, including some locks, on a tour boat from Lockport. I did that about 25 years ago. It was really fascinating.

[@greatsilentwatcher]

Lockport will take hours out of your life when you go there. So much to see and take in.

[@mayonaise000]

What a name for a surveyor. He's Ben Wright his entire life.

[@jodapop32700]

KZbin knew what it was doing recommending this vid to this Utican, great vid

[@kmdkrohn]

I will never grow tired of the interesting ways people butcher Schenectady, Rensselaer, Valatie, Skaneateles - just to name a few! Skuh-neck-tah-dee Ren-sell-ear / Ren-sell-er Vah-lay-sha Skinny-atlas

[@samuelmjlfjell]

All ben ee

[@iaingillespie3425]

Yeah that was a rough Schenectady...

[@GeoffreyWare]

Very entertaining story thank you very much!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content eric!❤❤❤❤

[@CopperCityPatriot]

The Barge Canal, has not made a penny profit since 1961. And the current NY governor, refuses to allow garbage and waste barges on the water, which would create a profit. Many hotels & taverns, built along sections of the Erie Canal, sadly no longer exist. There was one large tavern, between Rome, NY and New London. Today, it's just grassy field, with sparse foundation of stone still visible. It's also amazing the amount of immigrants that died, while constructing the old Erie Canal. The Erie Canal trail, actually follows the feeder canal, of the original canal, and today's Barge Canal.

[@aeoleaburwell7247]

I like that briefly shown map of the Niagara escarpment. Very cool.

[@chrislittle2366]

Dewitt Clinton would be a great Biographics video

[@TonyE727]

My wedding was on the Lockport Locks a few years ago

[@coreydedolph5865]

Very nice overview

[@jimsmith556]

Thanks for the information and anecdotes! However, you know what would have been helpful? A current map. A map showing where the canal was built, where it started, finished, the route travelled, location of locks, etc; you know, stuff that might be a bit more informative than your face talking for half an hour. The old drawings and images are helpful and interesting. You could have shown where the changes were made, during construction, during redesigns, renovations. Yeah, much more use of graphics and maps.

[@scottrjmatmsncom]

I'm Listening and watching from Niagara falls new York. I've ridden on a boat going through the Lockport locks it's interesting

[@multipletanksyndrome]

How about the canal that connects the Rhine to the Danube.

[@Pyeknu]

Hopefully, you'll do one on the Welland Canal one of these days.

[@Mike-hu3pp]

Excellent video. Amazing what was accomplished during these times. A history of the Rideau Canal would make a good video. The British were worried that the US would try to take over Canada again and made a waterway to avoid the St. Lawrence. But after the war of 1812 the US never declared war on Canada again. A beautiful canal that can still be pleasure boated and a UNESCO heritage site. Also has been the largest (no longer the longest) skating rink in the world, but climate change is ruining that.

[@denisbatista6010]

The 500$ bill has McKinley on it

[@EmilyJelassi]

I'm surprised that they didn't bring some canal engineers from the Netherlands or Scandinavia... that would've made the creation of the Eerie Canal a lot easier and probably cheaper, too! Very interesting video 😊❤

[@carolyncasner4806]

2025 is going to be a celebration year. It will be a great time to visit.

[@dylanroemer4277]

Grover Cleveland is on the $1,000 bill

[@GreenIslander100]

Grover Cleveland was on the 1928-34 $1,000 gold certificate, which was the last $1,000 denomination note issued by the US. DeWitt Clinton was on the 1880 and 1869 $1,000 legal tender notes. Others who appeared on various different types of $1,000 notes are Salmon P. Chase, Alexander Hamilton, William Marcy, George Gordon Meade, Robert Morris, and George Washington. Some of whom also appeared (and still do) on other denominations.

[@Beatles__]

In Cohoes there is still remains of the old Erie Canal and it’s pretty dope

[@MarSchlosser]

@3:57, fire was a common means to take down trees. A controlled burn at the base would first kill the tree, then eat thru the trunk without causing a forest fire. This also killed the roots, so only a certain number of trees needed to go. Once down, logs were split into planks for shoring until stonemasons could cut and lay blocks of stone. Afterwards, trees along the shore were felled and removed. Streams along the canal would be diverted into the canal.

[@antiisocial]

Cool. Ty.

[@pixelkatten]

Despite my interest in infrastructure, I probably wouldn't have watched this video if it wasn't for the song. The Erie Canal is practically unknown in Sweden, but Bruce Springsteen and Pete Seeger aren't!

[@user-ke2hc9me1y]

Did I miss something? Where’s Simon?

[@Damons-Old-Soul]

Innovation comes from those with a good general knowledge, while not being limited by expertise.

[@brianwoodbridge88]

He predicted sky scrapers in the late 1700s?? Wow! 😲

[@murkrow2316]

Interesting enough I looked up deaths on the Erie Canal and found 2 men of the same exact name including middle as mine. If your Irish more than likely you personally may find the same thing.

[@danielmcintyre9200]

DeWitt Clinton was /a/ guy on the $1,000 bill (series 1880), back when paper money was printed and backed by the Treasury. Most of the time, if you see a $1,000 bill, it will be an early Federal Reserve series bearing a portrait of Grover Cleveland. The last series date for those big denominations was 1934, and the Fed ceased issuing them in 1969.

[@Unknowngfyjoh]

Does this channel have more or less subscribers since Simon left? How the check?

[@archstanton6102]

Less

[@kellyngrey4950]

Is Simon not coming back? Are we stuck with this guy?

[@archstanton6102]

Yes, Simon left over 12 months ago. He is not coming back.

[@kellyngrey4950]

@@archstanton6102 Bummer. Thanks for answering! 💜

[@Chris-xz8fm]

I think something happened cuz he made a couple new semi copy channels but he’s off all the -o-graphics he should have been able to keep the channels HE built them up HE made them what they were and HE established a fan base that was obviously HIS cuz the struggle to get a small fraction of what the used to as far a views

[@scooby45247]

Chicago and Cleveland wouldnt have.. America would have been fine once rail and flight was brought about.. the real question is how would Native populations have survived if it took another 15 yrs for rails to cross?

[@emarti3853]

Trains mightve done it in 1850

[@Crioten]

Starfishes want to visit

[@Kazihirom]

Where’s simon

[@bnthern]

well presented - VERY FEW MISPRONOUNCIATION!!

[@Chloraflora]

Albany, Rensselaer, and Schenectady were pretty well butchered 😅

[@rich478]

Is mispronunciation singular or plural?

[@carolyncasner4806]

The pause and audible inhale before attempting Schenectady 😊

[@trumpetmom8924]

@@carolyncasner4806 Lol. My husband got his master’s degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute via distance learning, so I learned how to prounounce it pretty quickly. I knew roughly where Troy was when I lived near Syracuse, but hadn’t heard of RPI until my husband started his studies. I have heard really bad butchering of Syracuse and Chittenango IN CNY, so considering he prounounced the latter perfectly, he gets a 👍🏻 for that. Shenectady and AL-bany, had me laughing and yelling at the screen though. I’d hate to hear him go for Skaneatales. Oof.

[@resileaf9501]

I actually didn't know about this. Quite impressive. And almost no downsides, but of course the workers had to be exploited and die in droves. Capitalism ho!

[@rogerpenske2411]

And communosociofascism is so much more humane. Hey, watch that bayonet, pal.

[@DouwedeJong]

Most of the engineers in New York State came from the Netherlands, where digging canals was done for centuries. Giving the idea that was all done from nothing is absurd.

[@forgesoulfire1320]

He's a good orator, but this video, it needs more Simon

[@resileaf9501]

He left of his own will over a year ago. Get over it.

[@philipdevos3070]

This presentation is not my cup of t ea

[@GREENGENE18]

Fact Check: The 'Allegheny Mountains' run for about 300 miles from north-central Pennsylvania southward, through western Maryland & eastern West Virginia, ...NOT NYS! The canal is proximal to the MOHAWK & the vast Southern NY Ranges of the Appalachians, but you should 'a just said ...The Appalachian Mountains.

[@servomoore]

The rules were you weren't going to fact check!

[@remi_gio]

…no British accent? 😂 doesn’t inspire trust!

[@yecora10]

really not a fan of other people on this channel, iv watched so many of these vids with simon its like a mate who you watch it with. so when someone else is now there it dosnt feel right so i havnt watched any of the new ones.

[@archstanton6102]

Simon is not coming back and has been gone for 12 months. So watch with a new host or miss out.

[@yecora10]

@@archstanton6102 il miss out

[@cook8903]

4 views within 40 seconds of posting, this channel fell off! 😂