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The Erie Canal Region

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The Erie Canal region is used as a microcosm to determine the different changes in geography, environment, government, and the economy. The middle class had demanded, and influenced, a change in the way that trade worked the period before the civil war. With this change came the import of new/scarce foods that New Yorkers typically didn 't have access to such as oysters. The transformation of this region as a result of the Erie Canal is organized around six topics, each of which is covered by a chapter. Governor DeWitt Clinton was the pioneer who led this expedition in an effort to show the public that he was dedicated to technological progress for the people of the north. He wanted to demonstrate the adherence the core values of republicanism, …show more content…

The property of earlier settlers had been extensively damaged during this construction. Advocates of the canal promised that it would bring a surplus of business to the “door of every man”, but it in fact derailed any marketable value that their property may have had. The expected completion date of the canal was incorrect, and frequently had to be pushed back. As a result, the government took it upon themselves to damage property that belonged to citizens living along the route from Buffalo to Albany. This offered insight into what the everyday average person thought about this the Erie Canal, and how it effected their lives. In an attempt to justify what they took from these farmers whose livelihood was decimated, there was a plan put in place to compensate the victims. The government stated that the repossession of their property was done for the “common good”. This meant that the state intended to put the interests of landowners above those of the farmers. Landowners could alter the property of any of their neighbors so long as they gave them compensation for the land’s productive worth. This set legal precedent where landowners were given an unreasonable amount of control over the surrounding land. They could divert the flow of water to their property, even if it disrupted the neighbor 's land and destroyed their crops. This eventually led to the establishment of the Canal Board. The board was specifically designed to issues regarding the state’s artificial waterways. The board made most of the decisions about At times the average citizen considered only the negative side of having a canal and neglected the benefits which accrued in having an expanded market. Many of the people who didn’t feel as if their claims for property damage were taken seriously, turn to the state as an advocate. These New

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