July 18, 2006

Transportation Revolution

Transportation Revolution

 

  1. Keel Boats replace ancient molded flat boats, but still both used polls to push the device through the water.
  2. Cumberland, Tennessee rivers tributaries of the Ohio river with many other tributaries create opportunities for producers of whatever to Keel boat their products through the navigational waters. The Ohio as its own tributary connects to the Mississippi River, the main water rout to New Orleans the major port for international trade. Keel boat travel to New Orleans was down stream, but getting them back up was a long journey. Many just sold their boats to be stripped for lumber when in New Orleans.
  3. Navigational guides printed.
  4. Community life called River communities prop up all over the banks of the Mississippi river.
  5. Mike Fink, most famous Keel boat adventurer, a rough life and met a violent death.
  6. Indians take shots at boats.
  7. River pirates, Harper brothers; ambushes, Samuel Mason.
  8. New Orleans road, Natchez Trace.
  9. Jefferson’s embargo Act, shut down the ship building business.
  10. 1880s appx. 1000 boats west of the Mississippi and this employed many people. No job shortages.
  11. 1820s, Lincoln took at least two trips on Keel Boats.

 

 

 

  1. Great Age of Canal Building
  2. Whiskey Rebellion took aim at transportation needs.
  3. Dewitt Clinton, a wealthy person decided to build a canal others previously had envisioned, and people thought he was crazy, even congress and called it  ”Clinton’s big ditch” during periods of construction. He wanted to capture the revenue of such an endeavor.
  4. 1816 February 16, Memorial of the Citizens of New York, in Favour of a Canal Navigation between the Great Western Lakes and the Tide-waters of the Hudson. Drafted by De Witt Clinton and signed by many citizens, it made a deep impression on the Legislature.
  5. 1816 April 17, NY Legislature passes a canal law.
  6. 1817 July 4, Canal construction began at Rome, NY. Finished in 1825.
  7. October 26, 1825 first passage through canal from Lake Erie to New York City.
    1. 363 miles in length, 40 feet wide, 4 feet deep, max displacement 75 tons
    2. 77 locks, 90 feet by 15 feet
    3. Total lockage 655 feet
  8. (http://www.history.rochester.edu/canal/)
  9. Clinton proposed to the New York legislator to let him do it.
  10. Robert Fulton had previous proposed the idea of the canal to Washington.
  11. The previous longest canal in New Hampshire consisted of 28 miles.
  12. Initial investments concerned people because of a lot at stake. Stockholders’ worried because of an elevation problem of 650 feet. What to do? Hills also blocked the pathway from Lake Erie to the Hudson river.
  13. 1797 February 5 letter from Robert Fulton to President Washington referring to potential canal improvements, including a canal to Lake Erie.
  14. July 4, 1817 the project begun.
  15. 1819 23 October, middle section of canal opened from Utica to Rome, 96 miles.
  16. Built it in sections s people could begin to use it right away.
  17. They paid a toll and it proved faster. Longest section was about 75 miles.
  18. 364 [363] total miles and largest in the world. 2,700 foot high inclination it took 84 [77] locks to get the boats over the mountain.
  19. Purpose to connect Buffalo and other remote places, and also to connect farmers   to get produce to the people from upstate New York.  
  20. 1st Year the canal generated $500,000 and the 2nd year the canal generated $750,000.
  21. Only 40’ wide and 4’ deep and later expanded for heavier shipping of 70’ wide and 8’ deep. $125,000,000 1816-1840 estimated time .Many Poor Irish worked to build it.
  22. Two miles per hour, 20 miles per day, but faster than mule or pact-trains.
  23. This set off a canal craze in Maine, Virginia, New Jersey and Illinois.
  24. 1790 Philadelphia was number one in population and later merchants advocated for a canal.
  25. 1826 A year after the Erie Canal project completed the Philadelphia can begun.
  26. 1834 Pennsylvania to Pittsburg. Congested and never a competitor to the Erie Canal and with 90 more locks it worked.
  27. General problems. Flood and rain. Speculations bonds of the 1819 and 1839 panics.
  28. Eastern U.S. so many canals before the Civil War. Steamboats take over transportation job.

 

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