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How Did The Us Build The Panama Canal

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The Panama Canal is an important part of Panama and United States history. The Panama Canal was constructed in order to make the journey from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean shorter. This is extremely important because it shortens the journey for cargo ships making them financially more efficient. The Panama Canal was once owned by the United States but is now owned by Panama. The Panama Canal is a perfect example of countries working together for a common goal. 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 …show more content…

The United States planned for the canal to stretch from the city of Colón to Panama City. Soon after construction started problems occured. The lead engineer, John Wallace, had problems with equipment and workers becoming ill. This caused Wallace to quit and construction to momentarily halt. President Roosevelt hired Lt. George Washington Goethals as the lead engineer in 1906. Goethals was a strict commander, who also cared about his workers; he improved working conditions while he was the lead engineer. One of the most difficult areas to build the canal was the Culebra Cut. Landslides were notorious and many workers perished. The next important structure to develop were the locks. In total 3 locks were made which total 3,000 feet long. The Panama Canal opened on August 15, 1914. The grand total of the canal was 350 million dollars. The money spent was a considerable amount during the time period because of World War I. During the construction of the canal, more than 25,000 workers died. The Panama Canal employed many people and helped boost the

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