Written by Linda Thompson History of America BUILDING THE ERIE CANAL Rourke Educational Media rourkeeducationalmedia com Scan for Related Titles and Teacher Resources
Many mountain ranges such as the Marble Mountains of California were some of the obstacles in the way of American expansion 4
Chapter 1 CONNECTING WITH THE HINTERLANDS Only 20 years after it became independent the United States gained a region that doubled the country’s size And barely 50 years later it reached across immense plains and towering mountain ranges to touch the Pacific Ocean One early step that helped this rapid expansion succeed was a series of improvements in transportation Before railroads pulling barges along canals was the logical way to move heavy loads The Erie Canal America’s first major canal had an enormous impact on New York State’s economy 5
