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Panama Canal Construction

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Throughout history, many civilizations and cultures have constructed architectural marvels that many today consider the great wonders of the world. Each of these achievements of construction are revered for their attention to detail and the incredible amount of labor and resources required to construct them. One such wonder in recent history is the Panama Canal which was completed in 1914. This technological and architectural wonder allowed for the expansion of trade around the world and is still in use today. The construction of this canal, however, was plagued with challenges that halted construction and could have shut down the project due to the severity of each situation. Through the long construction of the Panama Canal, there were …show more content…

The construction originally began in the 1870s when there was an “attempt by the French (to construct a canal) but disease and financial problems left a partially built canal behind” (“The Panama Canal”). Years after the failure of this project, the United States made plans to create a passage for ocean trade and travel. This idea was originally supported by President McKinley and was continued by President Theodore Roosevelt “following president McKinley’s assassination” (“American Canal Construction”). However, Colombia controlled the area and “felt the financial terms were unacceptable and rejects (the United States’) offer” (“Building the Panama Canal, 1903-1914”). This did not deter President Roosevelt and his determination to build the canal, therefore, he “responded by dispatching U.S. warships to Panama City and Colon in support of Panamanian independence” (“Building the Panama Canal, 1903-1914”). With Roosevelt’s determination and the backing of the military, the United States “helped set in motion an uprising by conspirators led by Philippe Bunau-Varilla, a representative of the Panama Canal Company” to help Panama break free from Colombia (Foner 721). This brought about the independence of Panama and allowed for the construction of the canal to begin by the United …show more content…

One such problem was the presence of yellow fever in the region. This deadly disease brought sickness and death to many of the workers in Panama and jeopardized the completion of the project. This disease’s origin was discovered by “medical researchers who… were becoming more receptive to the idea of a relationship between mosquitoes and yellow fever” (“American Canal

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