erie canal documentary film

Three years in production by Emmy nominated Syracuse, New York native, Tom Garber,  Creating the Erie Canal, documentary film tells the captivating story of the men and women who actually designed and built the original canal. 

Creating the Erie Canal has been produced as a part of the Bicentennial celebrations of the opening of the Erie Canal this year, 2025. The film tells the story of upstate New York pioneers discovering the intersection of ambition and opportunity in creating the world’s longest hand dug canal. It also tells the story of the loss of Haudenosaunee native American culture under the influence of manifest destiny.

In 1817 the United States lacked the required skills to build a 360 mile canal through rugged unexplored territory. It would fall upon the upstate New York farmers and country surveyors to figure out how to do it. They believed they were doing God’s work, and the land was created for the canal to pass through. The Native American’s being displaced by the canal also believed the use of the land was dictated by a higher being, but to be persevered for future generations. The outcome of these conflicting beliefs became apparent when the canal opened and transformed a young United States into a global economic powerhouse.