“1800–1850 Renewed conflict with Great Britain in the War of 1812 caused destruc

—“1800–1850 Renewed conflict with Great Britain in the War of 1812 caused destruction throughout the East Coast. Coastal raids and blockades devastated foreign trade, almost bankrupting the region. In addition the Industrial Revolution caused the population of New York City to explode, doubling in size every decade. Some northeasterners began to look to the frontier for opportunity. The Erie Canal, a technological marvel, was completed in 1825 and connected New York to Michigan. Because water travel was easier, quicker, and cheaper than traveling overland, the canal created a population surge in western New York State, Pennsylvania, and Ohio”—