In January 1809 President Thomas Jefferson reportedly pronounced the plan to be "little short of madness”.
Explanation:
In the year 1809 when the idea of Erie Canal was brought up, Thomas Jefferson was against the idea of constructing waterways on the Erie Canal. He was of the opening that is very long which is about 363 miles and the lake is very shallow.
He thought that it is going to be a death trap when navigation is made through this canal. So, he refused to fund the project from the federal funds. According to him, Navigation on Lake Erie was regarded as the most dangerous as on the Atlantic. During the discussion about the canal project he uttered that the plan to be "little short of madness".