The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal’s Role in Developing the District of Columbia’s Ports
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25071/2561-5467.1042Keywords:
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, District of Columbia, Alexandria, Georgetown, transportation network, economic development, portsAbstract
While the how and why of the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal’s birth are important, and it is with much thanks that students of inland waterways (few are we in number) are able to access this accumulated knowledge, it is somewhat shocking that the major role this canal played in developing the Potomac River valley and, most importantly, the country’s capital region, is overlooked. This article will address the pivotal role the C&O Canal played in forming and developing the two main ports that serviced the greater District of Columbia area (encompassing northern Virginia), and, to a lesser extent, the middle Atlantic region.
Bien que le comment et le pourquoi des débuts du canal Chesapeake et Ohio (C&O) soient importants et que les amateurs des voies navigables intérieures (peu nombreux sommes-nous) soient très reconnaissants de pouvoir accéder aux connaissances acquises, il est étonnant que le rôle majeur qu’ait joué ce canal dans le développement de la vallée de la rivière Potomac et, plus important encore, de la région de la capitale nationale des États-Unis ait été laissé de côté. Cet article traite du rôle central du canal C&O dans la formation et le développement des deux principaux ports qui desservaient la grande région du district de Columbia (comprenant le nord de la Virginie) et, dans une moindre mesure, la région de l’Atlantique-Centre.
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