the erie canal was first proposed in the 1780s, then re-proposed in 1807. a survey was authorized, funded, and executed in 1808. proponents of the project gradually wore down opponents; its construction began in 1817, and opened on october 26, 1825. in a time when bulk goods were limited to pack animals (a maximum), and there were no railways, water was the most cost-effective way to ship bulk goods. it was the first transportation system between the eastern seaboard and the western interior of the united states that did not require portage.