Library of Congress
Loc: Teachers: Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal
After studying various background materials, students read "Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal" and participate in writing and discussion activities that will foster understanding of the Erie Canal and its impact on economic and...
Read Works
Read Works: Westward Expansion the Erie Canal
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the building of the Erie Canal. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Other
Rochester Images: The Erie Canal
A collection of digitized images that reflect the time and life on the Erie Canal.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Ohio Dept. Of Natural Resources: History of Ohio's Canals
History of Ohio canals including Miami-Erie Canal and Ohio-Erie Canal.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Teaching With Historic Places: The Ohio & Erie Canal
How were the canals used and what were the effects of this transportation system on daily life in the 19th century? This lesson plan incorporates the use of historic sites in the study of Ohio and U.S. history.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: River Towns, River Networks
This resource provides information about communities that lived on or near water, including the canals.
University of Houston
University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: No. 1420: The Erie Canal
Read about the history of the Erie Canal and the impact it had on the economy in this article, which is a transcript of a radio broadcast.
Other
Berkshire Television: Erie Canal 175 Years
This site contains some brief information on the history of the Erie Canal and the impact it had on the United States. There is also a photo gallery of historic images.
Ohio History Central
Ohio History Central: Lakes, Rives, & Canals
This site provides a brief introduction to the river system and canals of Ohio. Includes a history of the canal system, details and maps of the drainage throughout the state, and how the river systems are used today.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Canal Era
See how the building of canals in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio not only opened up the west by making travelling easier and joining western territories to northern states, but also transformed cities from small burgs to major...
Digital History
Digital History: Accelerating Transportation
A thorough look at the transportation revolution that occured in the early 1800s. Read about the building of roads, canals, and the spread of railroads. Find out about the surprising opposition to improved transportation, and see how...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution
A very thorough look at the industrial growth in the North because of the advent of the Industrial Revolution in America. See what industries grew, how factories became more productive, and find out how the states cultivated economic...
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Wake Up, America: New Modes of Transport in 19th Century America [Pdf]
A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" that examines how new technology and scientific advances of the nineteenth century changed America. Includes ideas for directing students through a...
Ohio State University
Osu History Teaching Institute: Immigration to America in the 1800s
Learners will be introduced to the reasons people came to America and the different modes of transportation used for the journey. Students will follow the journey of one man from Switzerland to Ohio.
Digital History
Digital History: The Sections [Pdf]
Soon after the end of the Revolutionary War, the characteristics of the various parts of the new United States established themselves. Find out about the sectionalism, economy, and needs in the country in the early 1800s--the...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: An Uncertain Economy 1820 1860
In the 1820s, America's population was still moving ever westward in search of opportunities and advancement. These people are sometimes depicted as being fiercely independent and strongly opposed to any kind of government control or...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Economic Expansion, Enlarged Markets
The United States was greatly affected by the Industrial Revolution taking place in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries. New inventions and capital investment led to the creation of new industries and the spread of economic growth....
Have Fun With History
Have Fun With History: Pioneers and the Frontier
Learning module with a variety of video and other resources on the expansion westward as pioneers settled new frontier in the 1800s.
Other
Zca: History of Zoar Village
A brief description of this Ohio communal society that persisted until 1898.
OpenStax
Open Stax: On the Move: The Transportation Revolution
By reading this section of a chapter on "Industrial Transformation in the North", students will learn about the development of improved methods of nineteenth-century domestic transportation and identify the ways in which roads, canals,...
Other
City of Port Colborne
The City of Port Colborne is located on the Niagara Peninsula at the southern terminus on the Welland Canal and the norther shore of Lake Erie. Links provide information on the city's history and a video that showcases the community.