Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs): A Canadian approved PFD is designed to keep you afloat in the water. PFDs were designed for use in recreational boating and are generally smaller, less bulky and more comfortable than lifejackets.
The Erie Canal, in New York state (shown below), was 360 mi (580 km) long, and connected New York with the Great Lakes via the Hudson River. Locks were built to overcome the 571-ft (174-m) difference between the level of the river and that of Lake Erie.
The Erie Canal helped New York become the financial capital of the world and created a cheap and easy way to the west. Historians believe that the Civil War may have ended differently if there was no Erie Canal. The opening of the Erie Canal enabled trade between the East and the West, which helped the Midwestern farmers prosper. This encouraged Northerners to move to the Midwest.