The Erie Canal and the Development of the West To what extent did the construction and use of the Erie Canal impact the settlement and expansion of the Western United States?A. Survey Design: The survey focuses on the extent to which the construction and use of the Erie Canal impacted the settlement and expansion of the Western United States? The study will analyze how economic opportunities that began in 1825 with the completion of the Erie Canal affected the immigration of settlers to the West. The study will examine the various jobs created with the canal's completion and demographic changes related to economic opportunities. An increase in economic potential also led to political changes occurring between 1817 and 1830 that allowed for increased immigration and settlement in the West. Finally, the transition of the westward view from rugged and remote terrain to a civilized and developed landscape will be discussed and its settlement impact will be analyzed.B. Summary of Evidence: The completion of the canal in 1825 led to a two-way trading system. The boats traveled east with supplies from the Great Lakes and surrounding territories and returned with settlers and passengers traveling west, which became an important commercial activity (Johnson 375). The economic success and prosperity of the canal also motivated the construction of railroads to the west, including the transcontinental railroad (Seelye 264). The Erie Canal determined the flow of commerce in the United States for over a century (Seelye 252). In 1825, with the completion of the railroad, present-day northern Indiana, northern Illinois, Michigan, and other western territories... ... middle of paper. .....e. Buffalo, New York: Print. House of Matthews & Warren, 1876. Print.Koeppel, Gerard T. Bond of Union: Building the Erie Canal and the American Empire. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo, 2009. Print.Larkin, Daniel F. “Essay on the Erie Canal.” Erie Canal Time Machine: The Railroads and Canals of New York. Np, and Web. March 31, 2014. Seelye, John D. “Rational Exultation”: Celebrating the Erie Canal. Worcester, MA: American Antiquarian Society, 1985. Print.Shaw, Ronald E. Erie Water West; a history of the Erie Canal, 1792-1854. Lexington: University of Kentucky, 1966. Print. Sheriff, Carol. The artificial river. Unidentified place of publication: Farrar, 1996. Print. Watkins, Thayer. “The Economic History of the Erie Canal.” The Economic History of the Erie Canal. Np, and Web. March 31, 2014.Woodcock, Thomas S. The Journal of Thomas S. Woodcock (1836): n. page. Internet.