- The author's main argument about the book is how the Erie Canal
benefited Americans who wanted to move out West and stay on the East.
The Erie canal benefited many Americans in the west buy making trading
to the east much easier and affordable for everyone in the United
States. The Erie canal created many jobs for low class working Americans
as well. Most Americans from the West and East came to support economic
expansions to the West to make more housing and economic structures.
- The purpose and point of view that the author is trying to prove
through out the book is to tell about the frustrations and prosperities
during the construction and making of the Erie canal. The reading gave
examples on how settlers brought many trading goods and families through
the Erie canal so that many families could create better lives for
themselves. The Erie Canal created jobs for low class working Americans,
and many Americans could realize their special destiny of universal
moral material prosperity. Most Americans from the West and East came to
support economic and geographic expansion, even if they held different
notions of how growth should take place.
- Some of the discussions and reading in class helped us better
understand the book when we asked each other our perspective and
opinions on each chapter we read and what we thought about in each
chapter in the book. Many of us compared the differences of what life
used to be like back then compared to the life that we have today as a
good example. Identifying the social structure during that time period
made us better understand the reading and some of the economic issues
that workers, farmers and residents had to go through during the making
of the Erie Canal. A lot of the reading helped us understand why many
people in New York wanted an Erie Canal and there were many agriculture
and economic changes that happened after the construction of the Erie
Canal ended.
4.Some of the questions we discussed in class were about agriculture
and how would farmers grow and sell crops along the canal? Farmers would
choose the kind of season they would have their crops grow and would
trade and sell crops to travelers and settlers. Also, What geographical
feature caused New Yorkers to want a canal? The New Yorkers wanted a
canal to access better trading goods and supplies into the United
States. Another question we drew in class was how would the Erie Canal
change the lifestyle of those who chose to move West? Many would have
better trading routes and better economic structure with more work and
more agriculture crops in the West.
- Some questions that I have for the book are things like economic
repair, how would one go about fixing a canal boat if something broke on
the ship? How would one make money if they were unable to grow crops on
their land? Also how would families and other residents fall asleep
along the Canal if so much noise was being made during the construction?
Also what would the residents do for entertainment?