A wise man once said, “There is something in New York air that makes sleep useless”. In Artificial River, We can see that air run through their lungs as ideas of the Erie Canal come rushing through. As the years progress, we see New York become a city of trade and an empire of buildings that reach the sky. Artificial River shows us just where this spirited or this air came from and how it became the very breath New Yorkers are known. The book entails their way diligent work ethic of progress, their humble beginning sprite, and the ideas of possibility.
In the beginning of 1817, New Yorkers crowd around during a cool summers day, a moment of curiosity and ideas of possibility reign thorough the city. As Judge Richardson looked at the crowd and proclaimed, “ By this great highway unborn millions will easily transport their surplus productions to the shores of the Atlantic, procure their supplies, and hold a use and profitable intercourse with all the marine nations of the world.” (P. 9, Sheriff). With every mile steadily moved up from one mile to two miles each day, New Yorkers became more and more excited. Visions of progress and possibility was just around the corner. They saw the Canal as monumental moment for the great city of New York and during the time. This canal was only 363 miles and trade could was easier than it had been in years. Raw materialism good moved to New York quickly and more affordably between the nations. Consequently, politicians were the only ones who doubted the canal. Some even sent out surveys to find out who prfered land over water. Similarly, they thought about the price of such achievement. Needless to say, the nation was certainly. On the contrary, politicians were not found of. Some sent out surveys finding those who prefer land to water and others had argued that the money for this investment. The nation was divided between the people and the politicians.
As time went by, many thought Clinton’s dream would never come true. Some disregarded it as a “false dream”. In the view of Thomas Jefferson consider the idea to be, “A fine commercial city fine commercial city, which has languished for many years because the small sum of 200,000 dollars necessary to complete it, cannot be obtained from the general government, the state government, or from individuals - and you talk of making a canal of 350 miles through the wilderness - it is little short of madness to think of it at