1. The Erie Canal
It would mean that all the vast territory around the Great lakes would be opened to trade with the East. ... The 80 cents to one dollar a day that laborers were paid was often three times the amount laborers could earn in their home countries. ... Before it opened, "a shipper paid $100 to send a ton of freight from Buffalo to New York City and the trip took 20 days. The canal made it possible to deliver a ton of freight for only $10 in eight days."... It was an exciting world, it brought strange faces from all over the outside world, and rich cargos of thrilling merchandise. ...
- Word Count: 1292
- Approx Pages: 5
- Has Bibliography
- Grade Level: High School