Question

What were the effects of building the Erie Canal?

It helped inspire the creation of the National Road.

It drastically reduced the cost of moving goods.

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

It effectively linked Lake Erie with the Potomac River.

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

Answer 1

Correct effects:
- It drastically reduced the cost of moving goods. — By providing a cheap, efficient water route between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic, freight rates fell sharply.
- It helped make New York City into a major trading port. — The canal connected the Midwest to the Hudson River and thus to NYC, funneling trade through the city.
- It cut down on the time it took to travel from east to west. — Canal transport was faster and more reliable than overland wagons.

Not correct:
- It helped inspire the creation of the National Road. — The National Road was planned and begun before the Erie Canal; both were part of the broader internal‑improvements movement, but the canal did not inspire the National Road.
- It effectively linked Lake Erie with the Potomac River. — The Erie Canal linked Lake Erie to the Hudson River (and thus the Atlantic/New York Harbor), not the Potomac.