DeWitt Clinton
A New York political force whose relentless drive turned the impossible Erie Canal into a reality, transforming American commerce.
1769–1828 (age 59)·American politician·Birthday: March 2
Biography
DeWitt Clinton was a man of expansive intellect and even more expansive ambition. A political powerhouse in early New York—serving as mayor, senator, and governor—he was also a serious naturalist who helped found institutions like the New York Historical Society. But his name is forever tied to a ditch. The 'Erie Canal' was mocked as 'Clinton's Folly,' a ludicrous proposal to cut a 363-mile artificial waterway through wilderness and rock from the Hudson River to the Great Lakes. As governor, Clinton bet his political career on it. He overcame fierce opposition, secured funding, and championed the engineers whose work made it possible. When the canal opened in 1825, it was a staggering success. It slashed transportation costs, flooded New York City with Midwestern grain and goods, and cemented the city's status as America's premier metropolis. Clinton himself celebrated by pouring a keg of Lake Erie water into the New York Harbor in a symbolic 'Wedding of the Waters.' His vision didn't just build a canal; it built the economic geography of a young nation.
#1 When DeWitt Was Born
The biggest hits of 1769
DeWitt's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1769Born
1774Started school
1782Became a teenager
1785Could drive
1787Could vote
1790Turned 21
1799Turned 30
1809Turned 40
1819Turned 50
1828Died at 59
Key Achievements
- Served as the principal political champion and governor who oversaw the construction of the Erie Canal, completed in 1825.
- Served as Mayor of New York City for multiple non-consecutive terms, influencing the city's early development.
- Was the Federalist candidate for President of the United States in 1812, losing to James Madison.
- Co-founded the New-York Historical Society and was a noted early American naturalist.
Did You Know?
The scientific name for the Pacific salmon genus *Oncorhynchus* was proposed by Clinton, reflecting his work in natural history.
He performed the 'Wedding of the Waters' ceremony at the canal's completion, mixing water from the Great Lakes and the Atlantic.
Clinton was the nephew of George Clinton, New York's first governor and U.S. Vice President.
He was a strong advocate for the abolition of slavery in New York State.
“The Erie Canal is a work more stupendous, more magnificent, and more beneficial than has been achieved by the human race.”
