ything there is to know about the Canal Era. It also talks about how our major mode of transportation went from turnpikes to canals, and later, canals to steamboats and railroads. One thing that this source talks about that very few do is the other canals that were built after the Erie Canal as a result of its success. These canals include the Champlain canal, the Union Canal, the Ohio Canal, the Pennsylvania Canal, and many more. I feel that my topic was fine as far as restrictions go. I do think though that it should have been limited to the Erie Canal only because that was by far the most important canal of the era. All of the sources I found have contained the Erie Canal. One thing wrong with my topic is that it is limited to canals before 1840. It should have been canal building before 1860 since that is about when the Canal Era ended. Another topic should have been the transportation revolution from 1815 to 1860. This would include all of the canals built and it would also contain how road and bridge building would move onto canal building. And it would contain the demise of the Canal Era and the rise of steamboats and railroad systems. The general hypothesis that I would form is that Canal building before 1840 had a positive effect on our nation's economy since it increased trade in the Northeast. After I have done further research, I concluded that canal building has had the great effect on our nation because it made commercial trading in the West profitable and it boosted our faith in new modes of transportation. My frame of reference doesn't have any affect on my hypothesis because the canals from the 19th century have no affect on my life. I also live in an area where no canals were built. People living in New York today might think of the Canal Era differently since it has contributed to make it one of the largest trade centers in the world. In researching my topic, I haven't encountered many problems. A small proble...