Erie Canal

Force of Change by Alexis Rockman created in 2017 depicts the junction of the Niagara River, the Erie Canal, and Lake Erie particularly near Buffalo, New York. The painting displays the utter beauty of the Great Lakes, all the while exploring the dangerous forces that threaten them. The piece is one of a series done by Alexis Rockman called “Alexis Rockman: The Great Lakes Cycle” currently displayed in the Grand Rapids Art Museum from January 27 to April 29. Through the use of several different…

The Era of Good Feelings The time period from the years 1815-1828 is commonly called “The Era of Good Feelings.” The end of the War of 1812 brought change among the United States, signifying our desire to expand westward, acquiring more land. While we had to continue to fight and compromise for expansion of the nation throughout the era, it paid off well. Along with land expansion, many technological innovations and financial decisions throughout this era helped construct our nation to what it…

rural frontier of America. Even though urban population growth increased in the country, up by 250%, most Americans still lived the stereotypical farming and ranching life. There was indeed an economic revolution too, with the construction of the Erie Canal in 1825, increasing shipping and trade, and plantation farming was also boosting the economy with the sale of cash crops. One thing that is…

victories and was capable of bringing up many heroes throughout the year. To name a few, Andrew Jackson after the battle of New Orleans, William Henry Harrison became a hero after the battle of Thames, and Oliver Hazard Perry who lead the battle of Lake Erie. Coming back around to the American System, Henry Clay made a great effort to try and bring unity to the North as well as the South and West in 1815 and to see them go forward with greatness. The American System consisted of the National…

Hudson, Ohio has been home to me ever since I was six years old. Hudson is a suburb of Cleveland and located in the Summit County. Being a relatively small community, Hudson, became a city officially after the 1990 US census. Hudson is mostly composed of upper middle class Caucasians, and is known for being a safe community perfect for raising a family. Another thing that Hudson is known for is having exceptional school districts, and is ranked nationally. Through research and living in Hudson…

civil war, the men were off fighting. Most of the workers for the Union Pacific consisted mostly of Irish immigrants. Years earlier, in Ireland, a potato blight caused many Irishmen to leave and come to America. Many had been working on building the Erie Canal. Once that was completed, they had difficult time finding jobs. The Irish were discriminated against because they were looked at as poor, uneducated, troublemakers, and their religion was Catholic among a Protestant nation. Many businesses…

business, run by his oldest brother, Gansevoort. Herman Melville also taught school near Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and Greenbrush, New York. Still in his teen years, Melville studied surveying at the Lansingburgh Academy in hope to work on the Erie Canal and he even helped out on his uncle’s farm. Finally approaching the start of his writing years, Melville served as a crew member aboard a ship named the St. Lawrence, which was heading toward Liverpool, England. Two years later, he signed up…

Thomas Paine, a former worker in the Custom Services of England, published a book in 1776 entitled Common Sense (Henretta 171). Within the text, Paine heavily criticized the rulings of the British by finding flaws within their mixed governmental system (Henretta 172). Throughout the whole book, the most influential argument that Paine made, for the history of America, was the idea of American Independence (Henretta 172). Common Sense encouraged the Patriots to gain independence from British rule…

With the opening of the Erie canal an ever increasing amount of young males were leaving to the west, leaving their families and especially women to fend for themselves (Hindle 194). The Lowell mills rectified this problem by promoting a new industrial workforce. Young women were…

One of America’s most important wars began in 1861 and lasted for four long, brutal years. During this time the Union and the Confederacy, also known as the Northern and Southern states, respectively, fought against each other for what they believed to be their constitutional rights. The Union was led by Abraham Lincoln, the President during this time, while the Confederacy was led by Jefferson Davis. The Civil War resulted in the death of over 500,000 people, more than any other war America has…