Question

What were the effects of building the Erie Canal?

It drastically reduced the cost of moving goods.

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

It helped inspire the creation of the National Road.

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

It effectively linked Lake Erie with the Potomac River.

Answer 1

True:
- It drastically reduced the cost of moving goods — yes. The Erie Canal (built 1817–1825) cut freight costs and made bulk transport far cheaper.
- It cut down on the time it took to travel from east to west — yes. The canal greatly sped travel and freight movement between the Great Lakes region and the Atlantic.
- It helped make New York City into a major trading port — yes. By linking the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and New York Harbor, the canal shifted trade to NYC and spurred its growth.

False:
- It helped inspire the creation of the National Road — no. The National Road predated the Erie Canal (construction began 1811); the canal did encourage later internal-improvement projects, but it did not inspire the creation of the National Road.
- It effectively linked Lake Erie with the Potomac River — no. The Erie Canal linked Lake Erie to the Hudson River (and thus New York Harbor), not to the Potomac.