Question

What were the effects of building the Erie Canal?

It effectively linked Lake Erie with the Potomac River.

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

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

It helped inspire the creation of the National Road.

It drastically reduced the cost of moving goods.

Answer 1

True:
- It helped make New York City into a major trading port. — The canal connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River, routing Midwest trade through NYC and making it the country’s dominant port.
- It cut down on the time it took to travel from east to west. — Water transport along the canal was much faster and more reliable than overland routes of the period.
- It drastically reduced the cost of moving goods. — Canal transport greatly lowered freight rates, spurring trade and settlement of the Midwest.

False:
- It effectively linked Lake Erie with the Potomac River. — The Erie Canal linked Lake Erie to the Hudson River (and thus the Atlantic), not the Potomac.
- It helped inspire the creation of the National Road. — The National Road (Cumberland Road) was authorized and construction begun before the Erie Canal; the canal did inspire many state canal and internal‑improvement projects, but not the original creation of the National Road.