11. DeWitt Clinton
Little known today outside of New York, Dewitt Clinton was a politician and what would now be called a conservationist who was one of the earliest champions of government built infrastructure to help develop industry, agriculture, and trade. He lobbied for and oversaw construction of the Erie Canal, the success of which led to a flurry of canal and road building across the growing nation, connecting the cities and ports of the East with the rivers and lakes of the west. The government activity and economic growth spurred by Clinton and those who followed changed American life and industry in ways still felt, and led New York City to become the leading trade center in America.
