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The British potters of both the Liverpool and Staffordshire
regions enjoyed a lucrative trade with America both before
and immediately following the Revolutionary War. However,
in the early 1800s, hostilities in Europe, trade embargoes,
and the War of 1812 dramatically impacted trade between
Britain and the United States. Following the end of the War
of 1812 and hostilities in Europe, British potters were
anxious to resume trade with the American market. Patriotic
feelings in America were so high that British potters were
convinced that any ceramic wares depicting American scenes,
patriot's portraits, and other designs would appeal to the
American consumer's growing national pride. Many of the
American views found on the British pottery of this period
were produced from an illustrated book entitled The
Beauties of America. English tourists also brought back
sketches of the wonders that they saw in America, and these
too were copied and adapted for use on plates, bowls, and
pitchers. In many cases, the potters themselves went to the
expense of sending someone to America just to bring back
drawings and paintings of the latest architectural
achievements, new monuments, and scenic wonders. The most
recent innovations in transportation were also appealing
decorations for the transfer-printed wares produced by the
British potters. Scenes from throughout New York State were
prominent in the pottery produced by the British potteries,
including views of the Erie Canal.
When it officially opened on 26 October 1825, the Erie
Canal was acclaimed as the greatest engineering marvel in
the world and was referred to by many as the "Eighth Wonder
of the World." The sheer scale of the accomplishment awed
visitors from far and wide. The 363-mile long canal
connected the Hudson River (and by extension, New York
City) with the Great Lakes. Because of it, cities like
Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse grew instantly out of the
wilderness. The canal linked New York City to what was a
2,000-mile waterway that extended from the western shores
of Lake Superior to the gulf of the St. Lawrence River.
Shipping time between Buffalo and New York City was cut by
more than half (from 20 to 8 days) and shipping costs were
reduced by as much as 94 percent. Canals throughout the
east coast of the United States fueled the explosive growth
of the country for 50 years after the opening of the Erie
Canal. For the dissemination of people, ideas, goods and
American nationalism, as well as a model for most
subsequent canals, the Erie Canal stands alone in the first
half of the nineteenth century.
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