Funding for Reflections on the Erie Canal is provided by the
New York State Canal Corporation.
Explore the past, present and future of the Erie Canal on its bicentennial anniversary.
In 1825, the state of New York inaugurated a monumental economic engine - the Erie Canal. Born from an audacious ambition to secure financial power and seal New York’s status as the Empire State, the canal was a triumph of engineering and determination. Two-hundred years later, the human-made thread crossing the state of New York from West to East has a much broader legacy that deserves definition and exploration.
While many New Yorkers are familiar with the origin story of the Erie canal, there remain untold stories from the time of the canal’s birth. From the people who built the canal, to the indigenous communities disrupted by it - the canal revolutionized a nation still yearning to harness its potential and establish its identity. The canal unleashed a powerful movement - of people, ideas, materials, wealth and innovation.
Today, the singular historic purpose of the canal has been replaced by a broader significance. Together, the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca canals span 524 miles and serve communities in ways unimaginable to their creators. New York’s canals are a source of community, recreation, a habitat for wildlife and a resource to mitigate the impacts of a changing climate. The infrastructure of the canals also exists as a historic monument in need of maintenance and reinvestment.
In Reflections on the Erie Canal, we look back on the two-hundred-year journey of the Erie Canal and contemplate its future.
Haudenosaunee people have lived on the land now called New York State since as early as 1142. The confederacy is composed of six nations - Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations. The Erie Canal’s path follows the traditional waterways of the Haudenosaunee. The Oneida Carrying Place, a six-mile portage connecting the Mohawk River and Wood Creek, served as a vital link for those traveling by water from the ocean to the Great Lakes.
The Revolutionary War led to the dispossession of many Haudenosaunee territories. After the war, many Haudenosaunee moved to Canada to establish a community there now known as the Six Nations Reserve. Between 1785 and 1792, the Haudenosaunee who remained in New York faced overwhelming pressure to give up their lands. The Erie Canal was constructed through this land following the Revolution and the War of 1812.
Unfair and illegal sales of Haudenosaunee lands continued until 1842, resulting in smaller reservations dispersed throughout the state. Today, the nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy are in seven communities in Canada and twelve in the United States.
We look back at the events that led to the canal’s construction, and how the Haudenosaunee view its role today.
Erie Canal Timeline
Additional Resources
Welcome to the NYS Canal System
The nation's largest state-run inland waterway system—operating since 1825 and including the Erie, Champlain, Oswego & Cayuga-Seneca canals—plus more than 150 miles of recreational trails.
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
Opened in 1825, the Erie Canal transformed New York State and had a profound influence on the nation. Explore, learn, and get involved during this auspicious anniversary year
The Erie Canal Museum
The Erie Canal Museum engages the public in the story of the Erie Canal’s transformative impacts on peoples and places in the past, present, and future.
World Canals Conference 2025
Bringing together the brightest minds working on inland waterways to share ideas and inspiration for the future of inland waterways.
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