Book Description

The Story of the Great Lakes goes beyond just being a simple historical account of the Great Lakes region of North America, from the time of the earliest human inhabitants to the present day. Instead, Channing and Lansing describe the geological formation of the Great Lakes, the arrival of the first indigenous people, and the subsequent impact of European colonization. Indeed: these lakes have an area of more than half that of the Black Sea or the Caspian, while Lake Superior is the largest body of fresh water on the globe. The four upper lakes are so nearly level that one canal with a single lock has given them a navigable length of over fourteen hundred miles. Lake Ontario, however, is effectively separated from the others by Niagara Falls and its attendant rapids. Other great inland bodies of water are directly connected with the ocean by navigable straits. The Mediterranean Sea is entered from the Atlantic by the Strait of Gibraltar, the Black Sea is connected in its turn with the Mediterranean by the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus; but Niagara closes direct navigation between the Great Lakes and the sea. The authors go on to explore the economic, social, and cultural importance of the Great Lakes region, particularly the role of the lakes as a transportation network for goods and people. He describes the growth of the shipping industry, the development of canals and other transportation infrastructure, and the impact of the lakes on the settlement of the region. The book also includes discussions of important historical events that took place in the Great Lakes region, such as the War of 1812, the Underground Railroad, and the growth of the automobile industry. Channing pays special attention to the role of the Great Lakes in the development of the United States and Canada, and how the region's history has shaped its contemporary identity. --