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In 1881 the French started working on a project to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama to connect the Atlantic and Pacific. Ferdinand De Lesseps was the leader of this huge project. He wanted a canal to be dug out near the path of the Panama railroad. The job was longed to take at least 12 years. -
The U.S. had a need for the Panama Canal because it would improve shipping, and it would allow our Navy to protect the new overseas empire. Roosevelt offered 10 million dollars and 250,000 dollars in rent every year if Colombia would let us build the canal through Panama. The Colombians thought this would give the U.S. to much territory so the denied our deal. -
The Panamanians disliked Colombian rule so they planned on a revolt. Roosevelt told them that the U.S. would secretly have their backs if Panama declared Independence. The U.S. keeping its promise set gunboats in the Harbor and Marines went to Colón to protect Panama. They won their Independence and the U.S. congratulated them. -
The U.S. was then signed a treaty by a frenchman giving us 10 miles of Isthmus in Panama and we paid them the same offer as before. The treaty was called the Hay-Bureau-Varilla Treaty because of the frenchman. As soon as we were signed a treaty, the U.S. went straight to work with hard and long hours. -
The Panama Canal zone area was involved in the Atlantic, Central, and Pacific. Every single different location had a manager that took control and led the work. Lots of channels were being dug out through a wide spread of land by 1907. The rate of work increased greatly but there became one thing that slowed down work very fast. This work killer was disease. -
The workers being free of diseases got back to work. Constructing this canal had many tasks they needed to accomplish (3). The workers had to work very hard and cut through a mountain, dam a river, and work on the canals giant locks. There were many challenging jobs and digging a 9 mile ditch was one of them. Many supervisors came from the U.S. Also, many other workers from all over the place came to construct this project. -
Diseases such as yellow fever and malaria quickly spread and work had then slowed down juristically. A disease expert William C. Gorgas noticed this issue and decided then to look into it. Cuban doctor, Carlos Juan Finlay, figured out mosquitos were the supplier for yellow fever. English doctor, Ronald Ross, found that a different kind of mosquito caused malaria. Gorgas made workers clear out brush and drain swamps to clear out the diseases, this method worked and the workers got back on track. -
May, 1913, steam shovels broke through the Culebra Cut, and the final amount of cement was poured into the Gatun Locks. Engineers prepared and focused to get ready for the first trial run. The tugboat set out through the canal and everything was complete.
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On August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal finally opened. The Pacific and Atlantic oceans were finally reached together to form one whole. German troops were headed to Paris when the Canal was opened. The Panama Canal was called the biggest project in the world.