The Erie Canal would connect to the port of New York City by beginning at the Hudson River near Troy, New York. The Hudson River flows into New York Bay and past the west side of Manhattan in New York City.
The canal would flow to Rome, New York, then through Syracuse and Rochester to Buffalo, located on the northeast coast of Lake Erie
Once the plans of the Erie Canal were done New York wanted to obtain funds. The United States Congress easily approved the bill, but President James Monroe found the idea unconstitutional and vetoed the bill.
So the NY State legislature dealt with the problem himself and approved the state funding for the canal in 1816, with tolls to pay back the State Treasury for upon completion
New York City Mayor DeWitt Clinton was a major supporter of a canal and supported efforts for its construction and was able to oversee aspects of the canal construction
On July 4, 1817, construction of the Erie Canal began in Rome, New York. The first segment of the canal proceeded east from Rome to the Hudson River.
Thousands of immigrants provided the muscle for the canal which were paid 80 cents to a dollar a day
On October 25, 1825, the entire length of the Erie Canal was complete. The canal consisted of 85 locks to manage a 500 foot (150 meter) rise in elevation from the Hudson River to Buffalo. The canal was 363 miles (584 kilometers) long, 40 feet (12m) wide, and 4 feet deep (1.2m).
The Erie Canal cost $7 million dollars and the Erie Canal was a great route for overseas trade