The correct answer is Option C. Up until the 1840s, the Erie Canal was the main transportation route in the US for the volume of freight coming from the West. A direct water route from the western states to the port of New York City was made possible by the 1825 completion of the Erie Canal, which connected the Great Lakes region to the Hudson River. By enabling goods to be transported more effectively and affordably than they could have via other routes at the time, this canal revolutionised trade and transportation. It was essential to the growth of New York State's economy and contributed to the emergence of New York City as a significant trading hub.