Easton 1843 Chain Dam Canal Strike

Season 3, Episode 9 Lehigh Valley Landmarks AKA Landmarks With Leon

Easton's Chain Dam Canal

In the summer of 1843, hundreds of canal boats stopped moving—and the Lehigh Valley’s coal economy was suddenly held hostage. What began as a fight over freight payments turned into a massive boatmen’s strike, a showdown with powerful canal interests, and an astonishing confrontation that sent future industrial titan Asa Packer into the Lehigh River. Listen now to Lehigh Valley Landmarks, AKA Landmarks with Leon, and discover how one summer on the canal exposed the raw power of labor, money, and control in a rapidly changing America.