The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

National Historic Park

 Introduction
• The District of Columbia is home to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Park.

• It is widely known because it was constructed to transport bulky goods to the

market.

• It was a source of life to most people as agricultural goods were carried down the
canal to the market.

• The canal has played a crucial role in the country’s economic development.
 About the Park
• The parks canal passes from Georgetown and is
bordered by sandy paths

• A forest is seen nearby that contains dense

woods that is near the Potomac River

• Rocky cliffs and open fields provide optimum

habitats for wild plants and animals.

• The park is also known for containing

endangered vegetation and animals.
 History
• The canal’s construction began in 1828

• It was completed in 1850.

• The canal was slower than B&O Railroad

because it had less speed and capacity

• Only bulk commodities such as coal were

transported.

• In 1924 it was destroyed beyond repair

• However, it was re-established as a park in

1971.
 Historic Importance
• It was used during the Civil War

• It was used to lob ammunitions across the water

• The westward expansion benefitted from the

canal

• Often, materials and people were transported

• It was used to transport slaves and immigrants.

 Economic Importance
• Transported bulky goods

• Examples of such included products such as

coal to the market.

• Assisted farmers to transport agricultural

goods to markets.

• Provision of jobs

• Such opportunities included repairing the

canal and loading goods into boats
 Why people should care about the park
• The park holds items that are important in
America’s history

• Occurrences such as the Civil War era are

reflected

• It has a beautiful landscape

• The serenity reflects the beauty of the

environment

• It is a home to different species of plants

and animals.
 Works Cited
• Library of Congress. "Map of the Located Route of the Metropolitan Rail
Road and the Adjacent Country Comprising the District of Columbia and the
Counties of Montgomery, Frederick, and Washington in the State of
Maryland, Francis Dodge President M.R.R. Company, Edmund French."
Today in history, 1853, p. 1, https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3841p.rr004600.
• ---. “The C&O Canal.” Today in history, 1930, p. 1,
https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/october-10/.
• Lynch, John A. “Justice Douglas, the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, and
Maryland Legal History.” University of Baltimore Law Forum, vol. 35, no.
2, 2005, pp. 104–27,
https://scholarworks.law.ubalt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.
google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=2139&context=lf.
• Trail link. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park Description.
2019, pp. 1–2, https://www.traillink.com/trail/chesapeake--ohio-canal-
national-historical-park/.