I’ve got an old mule and her name is Sal, Fifteen years on the Erie Canal.

Two hundred years ago this week, the “Big Ditch” known as the Erie Canal began moving cargo between Albany and Buffalo, New York, and in the process, forever changed our nation. In fact, when PBS aired its series “Ten That Changed America,” No. 1 in its Modern Marvels episode was the Erie Canal, before even the Transcontinental Railroad and the Interstate Highway System.

Part of my appreciation for the canal comes from my academic DNA. As an undergrad at the College of William and Mary, I had the honor of studying under the preeminent Erie Canal scholar, Dr. Carol Sheriff, who wrote “The Artificial River: The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817–1862.”

Sheriff was my advisor and has since become a friend. In her book she explains how the canal reshaped America, not only in its landscape but also sectional identity. She also showed how the canal delivered on its promises of prosperity but also created new social tensions.

Before the canal, the Appalachian Mountains isolated much of our nation’s interior from the Eastern Seaboard. Transporting goods from the western frontier (the Midwest today) to markets in the East was slow and expensive. Before roads were built over the mountains, the best way to ship goods was down the Ohio River to the Mississippi River and down to New Orleans. Then put cargo on ships and sail around to the Eastern Seaboard.

At a time when the federal government lacked the will or resources to undertake such massive infrastructure projects, New York Gov. DeWitt Clinton championed the canal as a bold plan to connect New York City to the West. Critics dubbed it “Clinton’s Ditch,” mocking the idea that a manmade waterway could cut through hundreds of miles of wilderness. Yet, his vision came true with what must have been seen as a miracle.

The canal connected Albany on the Hudson River to Buffalo on Lake Erie, meaning cargo could now be carried by water from Chicago to New York City. Between the two cities, the canal was 4 feet deep and 20 feet wide, just enough for two barges to pass each other. The entire length was dug by picks and shovels.

On both sides of the canal were paths for mules like Sal to pull barges. Along the way, several bridges were constructed leading to the chorus of the Erie Canal song, “Low bridge, everybody down.” The real marvel is that with the 568foot elevation difference along the canal’s 363mile route from Albany and Buffalo, it became necessary to construct 83 canal locks.

Trying to earn bonus points with Dr. Sheriff, I once wrote “Why the Erie Canal Started the Civil War.” Before the Erie Canal, everyone in the Midwest focused their attention south, especially to New Orleans — the gateway for any type of trade or commerce. Anyone who bought or sold anything had contacts in New Orleans and along the Mississippi River.

This is purely speculative, but this connection was so strong that had the canal not been built, rather than being cut off, the Midwest might have overlooked their opposition to slavery and joined the Confederacy for economic reasons. Under these circumstances, the Civil War may have never started as the Northeast would not have stood a chance alone.

However, the canal was built, which eased access to New York City. The Big Apple replaced The Big Easy as the commercial and cultural center for the Midwest. Where once commercial hubs had to be near major rivers, the canal opened the Great Lakes and created major industrial cities of Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit and most importantly Chicago. Gone were the days when businessmen traveled through the South making friends and contacts; they now went to New York.

Even more importantly, the canal made travel easier as well. No longer having to pull heavy wagons over the mountains, migrants could load their belongings on barges and move west with ease. With the canal, there was population rush from northeastern states making the east-west connection instead of the northsouth connection even stronger. Without the social or trade connection, a clear sectional dividing line emerged along the Mason-Dixon Line in the East straight through to the Mississippi River and beyond. This line eventually tore the nation in two.

So, while I doubt there will be any major celebrations nationally for this important project, there probably should be. This grand canal helped create our nation. And if there are any celebrations, I hope they remember to honor the old mules like Sal.

She is the finest mule in town, She’s a perfect, perfect lady, and she blushes like a gal, If she hears you sing about her and the Erie Canal.

James Finck is a professor of American history at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. He can be reached at HistoricallySpeak-ing1776@ gmail.com.