One Canal, Three Chief Engineers: The Panama Canal

Roosevelt felt strongly about trade throughout the world. In 1904 the Isthmus of Panama was first broken by American shovel. After months of negotiation, the Latin American government allowed the creation of the Panama Canal. The U.S. military and other volunteers did most of the work. But because of Yellow Fever and Malaria , few workers returned. In 1914 the Canal Zone was finished and for the first time the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans were flowing together.

Although the canal was not built until 1914, the idea was proposed in the 1500s. The idea came from Spain but the proposal was so absurd that nothing came from it. The French also attempted a similar canal. Once again the plan was deemed too strenuous and the French stopped construction. The United States decided that the idea of a canal stretching from the Pacific to Atlantic oceans was an

The United States built the Panama Canal. The canal was a fifty-mile-long passage that created a shortcut for ships. It cut through the Central American nation of Panama and linked the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. “It was an incredible project, the largest public construction project in US history. The engineering, technical, medical, and scientific challenges were incredible, first having to get disease under control and then figure out whether it should be a sea-level or a lock canal. It was forty miles long and literally cut through the continental divide, so it was extremely difficult” (Greene). The construction of the Panama Canal strengthened the economic dominance, and the rise of the United States naval power in the Western Hemisphere, accomplishing a long-awaited dream to create a route that allowed ships to move easily between the two great oceans.

The Panama Canal in my opinion one of the greatest man made canal in the history of the world. The french attempted to make the canal but failed. In the year 1904 President Theodore Roosevelt pressured Columbia to declare Panama independent. Theodore did not care about the panamanians he cared about the land. Panama is an isthmus, an isthmus is a piece of land connecting two large land masses such as North and South America. People have been dreaming of connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean for hundreds of years. John Findley Wallace resigned so President Theodore gave the job to someone else John Frank Stevens. Stevens had an idea instead of digging out the mountain they would build steps to get over it. They used railroads to move dirt, supplies, and machines. It took a while, however they used dams to block water, made artificial lakes so the boats could get across, gravity to fill the locks, and make locks. Locks are like steps, you fill it with water, open up the gates and keep getting higher.

In 1880, the French were the first group of people who tried to build Panama Canal, with no such luck, Within 9 years, hardly and progress had been made, and with 20,000 dead, it seemed like a lost cause, and all hope was lost for the French. Though this was a major setback for the French, this was an opportunity for the Americans, and mainly Theodore Roosevelt. Teddy had also thought that the Canal would be an incredible project to undertake, with many great advantages for the United States. IN 1902, the government agreed with the idea, and gave permission for excavation to start. But before they could even start digging, they needed to buy the land off of Panama, who was then controlled by Columbia. Finally after a long debate between American

Great Britain wanted to create a canal in Nicaragua, so Great Britain and the United States signed the Clayton-Bulwer treaty to ensure that neither would have exclusive rights to an inter-oceanic route (“Panama Canal”). Meanwhile, Ferdinand de Lesseps, a Frenchman who led the construction of the Suez canal in Egypt, started the construction of a sea-level canal in Panama for France. However, the French underestimated the magnitude of the project and had to stop construction in 1889 when de Lesseps’ company went bankrupt (“Construction Begins on the Panama Canal”).

The most accomplishing of Roosevelt's foreign policy initiatives was the establishment of the Panama Canal. For several years the U.S. naval leaders had wanted to build a passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through Central America. During the war with Spain, American ships in the Pacific had to steam around the tip of South America in two-month trips to join the U.S. fleet off the coast of Cuba. In 1901, the United States negotiated with Britain for the support of an American controlled canal that would be constructed either in Nicaragua

The construction of the Panama Canal was first brought up by the French on January 1, 1880. The actual construction of the Panama Canal then started on January 20, 1882. The French had 29,908,000 cubic yards of construction room. The French spent a total of 260,000,000 dollars. During the construction of the Panama Canal when the French where in control there were 20,000 deaths. The United States then paid the French 40,000,000 dollars for the rights and property of the Panama Canal. The Canal Zone was then finally acquired for by treaty from Panama on February 23, 1904. The United States paid panama 10,000,000 dollars for the Canal Zone. The United States then began construction on the Panama Canal September 26, 1913. There were 25,000 United States deaths in the construction of the Panama Canal.

The reason for the United States building the canal, was to prepare to go to war with Spain. The USS was ordered to leave California to head towards Cuba, but they realized that this trip would take 60 days and they would have to stop in South America numerous times for coal, before they would reach Cuba. After that, the U.S. knew that there had to be a route to take so they built the Panama Canal. Originally, the French started the Panama Canal in 1881, but they went bankrupt, so the United States agreed to pay for the costs and take up the construction. Columbia denied the United States the right to take over, which caused a revolt with the Panamanians. The Panamanians received their independence, which granted

The Panama Canal is a fluid powered machine. There are two things that work fluidly to help operate it. They are both hydraulic systems within the canal that help work it. The first is the motor. The canal used to be powered from an electric motor, but that was replaced by a water-powered motor. The motor powers the locks and gates. The second system is the water pump, in which pumps and sucks in water to raise and lower the water level to the point that ships can pass through with ease.The French started to attempt its creation in the 1880s (fluid power information found from. Though the French started, it was successfully finished in 1914 after 10 years of construction by the United States. The U.S. finished it because the French had given up quickly. While the canal was being built, many people died from severe cases of what? (for that time period).

The French attempt went bankrupt and they were forced to give up on the desired canal. The United States then sprung to the opportunity to build such a canal. They were able to reach an agreement with the French and signed the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty, officially licensing the United States to build and manage its own canal in Panama. Then, Panama declared its own independence in 1903 and a new treated was need. Panama manifested a new treaty with the United States, the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty. The United States constructed the canal from 1904-1914. The construction of the canal finally achieved the desire for such a passage between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Panama Canal now established easier international trading and accomplished the original goal of passage for trade and travel. The canal was a success at first, but a need for a wider canal grew soon after its original construction. In 1939 an expansion project took place to widen the canal but was soon destroyed by World War II. Unfortunately, the canal continues to struggle with modern day technology and a need for another project to be

The U.S. government ignored Panama’s independent movement through 1800. But when the U.S. government decided to build the canal, the attitude abruptly changed. After sending force to expedite the liberation of Panama, the U.S. took over the project of the canal, which was abandoned by the French. In the treaty with Panama in 1903, America was granted the right to the control 10 miles striped land which was called the canal zone. Then the United States immediately put the canal zone under military control.

The Independence of Panama and the Construction of the Canal. From the era of the Spanish conquerors, the idea was to build a canal through the narrow territory of Panama. At the end of the 19th century, Panama rose on the world stage when renowned French architect Ferdinand de Lesseps announced his plans to create a canal on the isthmus. The architect was already worldwide acclaimed for having built a level canal in Sweden. Unfortunately, the French failed and more than 20 thousand people died from malaria and yellow fever during the attempt. In addition, France suffered huge economic losses because of

The original Suez Canal opened almost 150 years ago linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. The canal took almost ten years to dredge and was opened for navigation in 1869. Ships were then able to bypass the long route around the southern tip of Africa by going through the 101-mile Egyptian waterway. On the other side of the world and about ten years later, the French began construction on the Panama Canal. However, engineering problems and diseases caused construction on the canal to stop. In 1904, the United States resumed construction on the canal. Finally, in 1914, the project was complete and the canal was opened connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The Panama Canal was started in 1881 by the French, but the idea was originated in the 16th century from a Spanish explorer. The French gave up on it because of engineering problems, bad planning, and workers getting unknown diseases. Then the U.S. took over the construction in 1904 and finished it in 1914.