The date was October 26, 1825. From Troy, New York to New York City, cannons were fired to signal the completion of what had been New York's greatest undertaking. The rapid industrialization of America had made clear the need for a connection between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. After dozens of proposals and a presidential veto, New York State and New York Mayor DeWitt Clinton took it upon themselves to dig a 363-mile canal from Troy to the sea. The Erie Canal was a labor undertaking, with 83 locks (devices that could raise or lower boats to water level), 17 aqueducts, and a side trail for horses and mules to help pull the boats. (Photo: Erie Canal in Ohio) The construction of the canal was accomplished without modern machines, just men and shovels, demonstrating the strength and determination of the workers. The Erie Canal allowed goods to be shipped to the upper Midwest for a tenth of what it would have cost before. This new method of transporting goods to/from New York via the Hudson River (Photo: Entering the Hudson) allowed New York City to become a metropolis, s...