America in Transition 1801-1848 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

America in Transition 1801-1848 - Assignment Example President Jackson asserted that removing the Indians was necessary in order for them to maintain their culture, which could not be possible if they mixed up with the Americans. He announced that the two major tribes of the Indian community had already agreed with the terms for their removal, and supported this by saying that this was a good example to the rest, who would soon follow the same path as they seek similar compensation (Lewis 2001). The building of the Erie Canal illustrated the confluence of a vision. It took 15 years to be completed beginning from 1817 to 1832. It was viewed by many as the dream of Washington, who is believed to have a great understanding of the significance of transport and communication in nation-building. However, he did not live to see the completion of the canal (Bernstein 2005). It created a significant landing point for the sea vessels at New York City. The river barges were used for transportation of the cargo from these vessels to far places such as Chicago. The canal facilitated the growth of the New York City which became a major port in the United States. With time, Chicago also followed similar developments as in New York City. The population of the two cities rose as the two cities became the largest of all the cities in America. Construction of the canal received public support, notably from particular public officials who according to (Bernstein 2005) included â€Å"people such as Morris, who represented the first Continental Congress†. Bernstein further notes that the public was excited regarding the canal as they saw it as a major step towards achieving prospects of acquiring the capability of transporting commodities which included salt and others such as gypsum to far places through it. This was not possible before the construction of the canal. There used to be no trading activities between merchants from the East and the West.