 |
|
There’s a Lot to See on the New York QuartersThere is, of course, The Statue.Looking at the New York Quarters, who could forget the incredible Statue of Liberty Centennial celebration in 1986?Lee Iacocca – the immigrant descended Chairman of Chrysler Corporation had his finest hour, spearheading the restoration of the statue and nearby Ellis Island so illuminated by the “Gateway To Freedom” inscription on the coins. But don’t miss The Canal.Displayed with greater subtlety is the route of the Erie Canal, drawn across the map of New York that is the other major feature of the New York Quarters design.On the coins, the canal easy to miss – but it serves to remind us of how New York’s success was propelled by the foresight of those willing to risk an investment of capital and labor that paid off so handsomely. Remember that immigrants were drawn to America, and particularly New York, by what they knew was there – a place where they could take their own measure, realize more of their native talent, and develop the skills and experience to reach their personal goals, however lofty they might be. So how did New York become the big apple of the immigrant’s eye? One visionary was Governor DeWitt Clinton, years prior to the 1825 opening of the Erie Canal, knew that connecting the water of the Hudson River with that of Lake Erie would change the economic landscape forever. As a statement of prophecy, one of his remarks stands out: “The city will, in the course of time, become the granary of the world, the emporium of commerce, the seat of manufactures, the focus of great moneyed operations… and before the revolution of a century, the whole island of Manhattan, covered with inhabitants and replenished with a dense population, will constitute one vast city.” And of course, it did. Connecting the wealth of the American interior to the port of New York, at ten percent of traditional overland transportation expense, the Erie Canal was a stunning success. That achievement helped drive the Westward Expansion in one direction, and New York’s expansion as a business center in the other, eastward, direction. As the thick stream of commerce along the canal route increased, and the city and state prospered, the immigrant perception of New York as the Gateway To Freedom came into being.
|
