The Erie Canal was an economic game changer for many of the states the canal passed through. Improve technology, communication, medicine, etc. was key, but there was yet another aspect that not all people would consider or care about. Workers who toil day in and day out would regularly suffer from illness, fatigue, poor living conditions and much more. Those in a better financial position were not affected and were able to pass it off as if nothing had happened. As the creation of the channel progressed, new problems were introduced into the picture involving mainly workers. Overall, was the reward worth the cost? With progress contradicting working conditions, this combination is often called a paradox. Starting on the bright side, the Erie Canal has had a substantial impact on many economies in New York state. “The Erie Canal is considered an engineering marvel of the 19th century. When the federal government concluded that the project was too ambitious to undertake, New York State took on the task of digging 363 miles of canal through the wilderness with nothing more than the muscle power of men and horses. The canal changed the culture of more than 50,000 people as their lives became increasingly centered around a waterway system. Traveling on the canal by boat was an important and exciting change for many families as they were reunited at a lower cost and were able to spend more time together. For cities like New York City, traffic has been significantly improved. “Within 15 years of the Canal's opening, New York was the busiest port in America, handling greater tonnages than Boston, Baltimore and New Orleans combined.” As for Buffalo, “freight is… the focus of the paper… significantly. While other industries have benefited, those who made it all possible have gone unappreciated. The Erie Canal brought a population that people had never seen possible. As the population increased, the economy was simply booming. But the main point is that as society continued to advance, workers suffered more and more problems, simply creating what is known to be a paradox. Works Cited Bernstein, Peter L. (2005). The Marriage of the Waters: The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation. New York: WW Norton & Company, Inc.http://www.americanliterature.com/Melville/MobyDickorTheWhale/MobyDickorTheWhale.htmlhttp://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper/DETOC/transport/workers.htmlhttp://www .canals.ny.gov/history/history.htmlSheriff, Carol. (1996). The Man-Made River: The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862. New York: Hill and Wang.