Question

What were the effects of building the Erie Canal?

It helped make New York City into a major trading port.

It drastically reduced the cost of moving goods.

It effectively linked Lake Erie with the Potomac River.

It helped inspire the creation of the National Road.

It cut down on the time it took to travel from east to west.

Answer 1

Correct effects:
- It helped make New York City into a major trading port. — True. The canal funneled western agricultural and raw‑material trade to NYC via the Hudson River.
- It drastically reduced the cost of moving goods. — True. Transport costs and prices fell dramatically once canal transport replaced long overland hauling.
- It cut down on the time it took to travel from east to west. — True. Canal travel was faster and more reliable than the existing roads.

Incorrect:
- It effectively linked Lake Erie with the Potomac River. — False. The Erie Canal linked Lake Erie to the Hudson River (Albany → Buffalo), not the Potomac.
- It helped inspire the creation of the National Road. — False in the sense usually meant: the National Road (Cumberland Road) was authorized and begun before the Erie Canal’s construction; the canal later inspired many other internal‑improvement projects but did not prompt the National Road’s creation.