AGE OF REFORM

The Erie Canal changed New York and American society.  The canal’s success put the Empire State on the cutting edge of American history at a time when Americans were searching for their young nation’s identity and purpose.  New Yorkers felt called upon—not just to better their own lives—but to perfect society.  Many worked to improve public institutions.  Some, unsettled by change, sought comfort in religion, while still others became evangelical crusaders determined to cure the country of its social and political ills.