DeWitt Clinton

A master politician, DeWitt Clinton was the driving force behind the construction of the Erie Canal. Following the second of his three terms as mayor of New York City (1803–07; 1808–10; 1811–15), Clinton was appointed to the Erie Canal Commission, which developed an ambitious plan for linking the Great Lakes with the Hudson River. When expected federal financing did not materialize, he helped convince the state legislature to appropriate $7 million for construction.

Just days after beginning his first term as governor of New York (1817–23), Clinton presided over the groundbreaking ceremony at Rome, New York, on July 4, 1817. He returned to office for his second gubernatorial term (1825–28) in time to celebrate the canal’s completion. Once mocked as “Clinton’s Ditch,” the canal was an immediate financial and popular success, fueling the growth and prosperity of New York and the Northwest Territory.