Questions: 1825
Document 2. Boats on the Mohawk River, Engraving
This is an engraving of a bateau (boat) and a Durham boat (with sails) navigating the Mohawk River. It shows the Durham boat being forced upstream through one of the dams created by the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company in the late 1780s to raise the water level across the river's many rifts and shoals.
Read Navigation Before the Erie Canal
Link to printable version of this document
Before the opening of the Erie Canal traveling and transporting goods over long distances was difficult. This picture shows a bateau (boat) and a Durham boat being forced upstream on the Mohawk River.
- Examine the picture and identify two sources of power used to move the boats up the river:
- How many people are working with or riding in each boat?
- The bateau in the bottom of the picture has _____ people.
- The Durham boat on the top of the picture has _____ people.


