Wedding of the Waters: The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation

by Peter L. Bernstein

Book Overview

The history of the Erie Canal is a riveting story of American ingenuity. A great project that Thomas Jefferson judged to be "little short of madness," and that others compared with going to the moon,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393052338
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.5" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

The biggest economic development before the civil war

The Erie Canal was a major factor in shaping the economic development of this country. It would open up the west and allow the untapped resources of America to be utilized. This book covers the political history and development of the canal showing how it was built and what happened to those who fought for it. It is very well written but could have been made clearer at times. There are so many interesting people associated with the canal that it can be easy to get lost in the story. Nonetheless this is an important part of American history and something that should be told. Highly recommend for those who want to understand how America became the power it is today.

A Fine History of the Erie Canal

Peter Bernstein's Wedding of the Waters is an excellent history of the Erie Canal, a great technological development in the early 1800s. This canal led to the development of some of New York's most robust cities, such as Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo. Each had been small and undistinguished before the opening of the canal; each flourished afterward. The canal stretched over 360 miles from Albany to Buffalo, with another 150 miles from Albany to the ports of New York City. The book discusses the pioneers who spoke of the great potential of a canal from Albany to Lake Erie (and other permutations as well)--and of those who made it real, with the patronage of Governor DeWitt Clinton being critical to the success of the venture. Clinton was steadfast in his support, even though political conflicts on occasion appeared to threaten the viability of the project. George Washington, earlier, had hoped to create economic development by making the Potomac River navigable throughout much of its length, to open the "West." This effort failed, making many nervous about such ventures. The canal was a triumph of the creative spirit. One example is the series of locks to elevate the canal over the Niagara Escarpment at Lockport, New York. Another is the technology used to move the canal boats at a steady pace, along the towpaths paralleling the canal itself. The canal was an economic success. As noted earlier, it spawned economic development along its path, helping to fuel the growth of cities. The revenues from the canal swiftly paid off the original cost of construction and produced revenues for the state. As Henry Tudor said in 1831, "It certainly strikes the beholder with astonishment, to perceive what vast difficulties can be overcome by the pigmy arms of little mortal man, aided by science and directed by superior skill."

Engineering feat

The Erie Canal was completed in 1825. It connected the Atlantic to Lake Erie. The canal stretched 363 miles from Buffalo to Albany and 150 miles down the Hudson. It created prosperity. New York received the nickname--the Empire State. Canals were the original means of networking. By 1780 canal building had become a frenzy across England. The Hudson and Mohawk Rivers provided a route to the West. George Washington had ability as a businessman. He saw the advantage of using the Mohawk Valley as a pathway to the West. Robert Fulton supported the idea of canals. He correctly estimated the cost of building the Erie Canal. An artificial waterway from one end of New York to the other did seem unreal to a number of people. DeWitt Clinton, Mayor of New York City and the holder of a number of other political offices, was a history scholar and nature lover. He was a man of erudition and eloquence. A commission was appointed to report on the feasibility of the canal project. It was proposed that the State of New York provide financing, ownership, and control of the overland canal. The War of 1812 provided a grim distraction to the project's progress. Later supporters of the canal were able to contend that the war had shown a need for it. Martin Van Buren stymied an effort to put the canal scheme into an operational mode. Calhoun, the influential national statesman, supported the canal concept. Gouvernuer Morris, along with Clinton a fervent and early supporter of the canal, lacked a firm grasp on good sense and retarded progress on the venture for a time. It was mandated that all real estate within twenty five miles of the canal was to be subject to a tax. The state borrowed money to produce most of the funding for the project. James Geddes and Benjamin Wright were among the engineers appointed. The novice engineers performed admirably. Canvass White helped to solve a problem with limestone by locating the proper kind at Chittenango. Construction began in the middle, a relatively flat area. Van Buren changed his mind and became a canal supporter, (a lot of this involved the Tammany Hall political machine, a topic explained thoroughtly in the book). Digging by hand an artificial waterway four feet deep and forty feet wide going, in some instances, through wilderness was created. French and English canals had cut through cleared and populated countryside. Later hand digging was replaced by the use of horse-drawn plows. DeWitt Clinton made the Erie Canal the centerpiece of his policies and goals. Travelers commented on the wonders of Lockport where massive locks were employed to deal with the problem presented by topography in the vicintiy of Niagra Falls. Buffalo was designated the terminus of the canal. As an engineering feat, prior to the time when trained engineers existed, the Erie Canal is stupendous. Canal towns developed into veritable seaports. Tourists rode on packet boats. In time the canals wer

Packed with Knowledge!

From a modern perspective, a ditch allowing barges to travel between Rust Belt cities in upstate New York hardly seems the stuff of high drama. But well-regarded economist and historian Peter L. Bernstein accomplishes the tough task of making readers care about the Erie Canal, the massive public works project that he believes changed the course of U.S. and world politics and trade. This compelling study portrays the waterway as a project involving enough risk and adventure to make a dot-com entrepreneur pale. Bernstein girds its history with ample modern-day perspectives to keep you interested. He does bog down at times in the arcane convolutions of early nineteenth century political disputes, but still spins a mostly fascinating yarn. We recommend this book to anyone looking for insight into this pivotal point in America's - and, perhaps, the world's - economic development.