The Erie Canal didn’t just have economic and technological impact, but also social influence, helping then-radical ideas like ...

As portions of the canal were completed, they were opened up for travel. By 1825, the Erie Canal spanned 363 miles, combining natural waterways—rivers and lakes—with man-made channels.

The original canal measured just four feet deep and 40 feet wide. An expansion in 1862 increased its dimensions to seven feet deep and 70 feet wide, earning it the name the Enlarged Erie Canal.