The Artificial River: The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862 Paperback – June 12, 1997

For too many people, the Erie Canal was simply an artificial waterway that opened the American west (back then) to the Atlantic, and, in the process made New York City a business entrepot. Carol Sheriff, in her book, "The Artificial River: The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862" digs a lot deeper to reveal the complexities of "Clinton's Big Ditch". There were the engineering problems to be surmounted. There were financial considerations. There were the legal knots that plagued the Canal Commission. The relationship--even the definitions--of nature, art and technology became blurred to so many people.But what I came away with the most was the utter chaos and disturbance the building and maintenance of the canal created. This was not a harmonious public work, dug by noble laborers, which enriched the lives and purses of the enitre populace. Instead, as Professor Sheriff demonstrates, there was a great deal of strife between the canal builders and the local residents. The wealth went to the few, and the builders got nothing--not even praise or thanks. This, in turn, created a new class of anonymous laborers which was counterpoint to the ideals of Republicanism. And, as Sheriff points out, DeWitt Clinton would have shook his head in disbelief, had he known this would have happened.As a whole, however, "The Artificial River" reminds us of the tremendous efforts that went into the making of the Erie Canal. And equally impressive, is the tremendous effort Professor Sheriff put into this well-researched and quickly paced book.

In "The Artificial River: The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862", Carol Sheriff argues, “Part of the transportation revolution, the Erie Canal played a major role in the transformation of the young Republic’s geography and economy and helped to set off the industrial and marketing revolutions that swept across the northern United States early in the nineteenth century” (pg. 4). Sheriff uses the canal as a window into these various developments, drawing upon the work of William Cronon, John Demos, and Paul Johnson. Her sources include letters, official records of the Canal Board, and various publications.Sheriff argues that canal promoters linked the waterway’s construction and success to notions of republicanism in the early republic. She counters this notion, writing, “Very few of the thousands of men who worked on the deep cut or the combined locks would have qualified as republican citizens – in either their own or other minds” (pg. 45). She continues, “New Yorkers did not agree on what made that artificial river materialize in the first place. While the Canal sponsors praised politicians and government officials, artisans paid honor to themselves and their workmanship. Laborers, meanwhile, gave a quick hurrah before moving on to another public works project” (pg. 51).Sheriff writes, “For reasons they did not anticipate, though, their artificial river would evoke feelings of ambivalence among many of the same people who celebrated the efficiency with which the Canal moved people and goods” (pg. 55). In this way, New Yorkers “viewed economic progress with at least a touch of ambivalence: although they looked forward to loading their wheat and apples on the eastbound boats that docked in front of their doors, they feared that the state’s attempts to encourage the building of commercial mills and warehouses would jeopardize yeoman’s economic investments and legal standing. This tension posed vexing problems for progress-minded landowners throughout the United States” (pg. 80). On the other hand, “Perhaps remembering that the Canal corridor had been touted as a sort of middle landscape between the extremes of civilization and savagery, New Yorkers sometimes argued that the state should use its regulatory powers to shield the public from some of the potentially harmful forces of the expanding commercial world” (pg. 91).Plans to enlarge the canal “brought a rash of petitions appealing to the state’s moral obligation to protect as well as promote its citizens’ commercial investments” (pg. 121). Sheriff writes, “Because the Erie Canal was the literal conduit of commercial exchange, New York State’s businessmen argued that the state should use the Canal to enhance market growth while limiting the potential for busts” (pg. 127). Later, “From a middle-class perspective, the Canal had become a haven for vice and immorality, the towpaths attracted workers who drank, swore, whored, and gambled. And unlike canal diggers, who moved on, boat workers remained” (pg. 138). Invoking the mindset of the Second Great Awakening, Sheriff writes, “Canal workers, simply by their daily presence, threatened both Jacksonian and Whig visions of progress. Reformers warned that the consequences of neglecting the spiritual welfare of boatmen would be far-reaching” (pg. 150).Looking forward in time, Sheriff concludes, “By helping to make possible this busy commercial setting, the Erie Canal had guaranteed its own obsolescence. Railroads, not canals, would ultimately meet the middle classes’ raised expectations” (pg. 173). She continues, “If the Erie Canal compressed distance and time, the railroads annihilated them, or so it appeared to the amazed observer in the mid-nineteenth century” (pg. 173).

The author did an excellent job of describing the development and operation of Erie canal. The book was well written and the descriptions by the author created vivid images in my mind. I enjoyed learning of all of unintended consequences resulting the construction and operation of canal. The canal is still there and a number of years ago my wife and I pedaled along it from Buffalo to Albany. This book brought back memories of that trip.

After I got done reading the book, I realized that it was actually originally the author's academic thesis which had been made into a book. Then it was all clear to me. What would be considered a very interesting thesis made for a book that was actually a bit of a slog to read. I was hoping for a very interesting story but it just wasn't. I would love for David McCullough to write a book about the Erie Canal. That would be good reading.

The writing style is superb- truly conveys the essence of the canal era. History buffs will appreciate the depth and breadth of the book, while casual readers will enjoy the colorful stories and personal accounts of the residents of the Erie Canal corridor. Whether you are a dedicated fan of the Erie Canal or just merely interested in the history of the Empire State- this book is for you.I purchased three copies of this book- two for presents (one for my history professor, the other for my neighbor who was recreating a packet boat) and one for myself :)

Very interesting because there was a lot of information about local sites. Amazing amount of history dredged up about riders and merchants.

I have only just begun so my assessment is not accurate yet. We recently rode on the Sam Patch boat on the Erie Canal and had a narration tour. We were on a motor coach tour of Niagara Falls and this Canal ride was one of the highlights of our tour! They passed this book around and recommended it as a good source of information.

Good book to learn about the early years and the culture of the Canal