Panama Canal Essay

Thesis Statement For The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal
Hunter Hammon
Mr. Davis
English III
16 October 2017
Outline
Thesis statement: The panama canal was a great achievement in the shipping industry, cutting sailing
time 7,800 miles from a trip from san francisco to new york between the Atlantic and the Pacific
under Theodore Roosevelt's Command.
Introduction
French was the first to attempt to build the panama canal in 1881.
De Lesseps was the promoter for the french to build the canal.
1,039 workers were put on the job when the french was under control. II. The U.S took control over
the construction of 50–mile stretch of the panama.
Lt. Col. George Washington Goethals was in command of excavation.
U.S purchased the french assets in the canal for $40. Million in 1902. III. Help arrived when Dr.
William Gorgas started his mission to kill the mosquitoes that carried a deadly disease.
The last reported case of yellow fever was in november 1905.
There was about 6,000 men contributing to the project at any one time. IV. The construction began
on the massive locks.
The lock consist of concrete which when done lifted ships 85 feet. above sea level
110 feet wide and 1,000 feet long and is controlled by a control board occupied by a worker
Conclusion
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a canal that allows passage through the Lake Gatun. This passageway is a
very useful canal cutting sailing time very much. If a cruise ship leaves San Francisco headed to
New York it would be 13,000 miles to
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The astounding achievement of building the Panama Canal did not come without great loss.
Within great achievement and betterment of the world, sometimes comes great tragedy. Great
change also doesn't happen without a strong fight. The workers who helped build the canal knew
what they were up against. They knew that famine, disease, dangerous jobs, and a great deal of
loss of human life laid ahead, but these workers were willing to sacrifice everything to see this
canal built. They knew the economic implications of having a canal like this. They wanted to make
their personal country's economy better environments for their wives and children to thrive in and
make a better life for their ancestors. This could be done with the money they made working on the
canal, as well as how their own children would live in more stable economies in their home countries
because of the canal. They were willing to fight for the great change that eventually ensued.
Over twenty–two thousand workers lost their lives in nine years working on the Panama Canal. A
plethora of diseases ran ramped throughout the region; these included some of the worst diseases
the world has ever seen such as the bubonic plague and typhoid fever. The most prevalent of
diseases in the region were yellow fever and malaria. These diseases were especially prominent to the
community of canal working because of the heat and humidity in this part of the world. The tropical
conditions in the climate happened to be perfect

How Did Lesseps Quit The Panama Canal
Known as one of the greatest engineering feats in all of history, the Panama Canal is an essential
asset for international trade and travel today, uniting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across the
Central American Isthmus in Panama, Colombia. Its construction required the perseverance,
innovation, time and money of at first, France and of second, America. Construction began with
Frenchman, Ferdinand de Lesseps at the helm of the project in the early 1880's; however, dreams of
a Central American canal were had as early as the 1500's with the Spanish and Christopher
Columbus. His plan was to dig a sea level canal, similar to a successful one he had made previously.
But after nearly 8 years of futile labor, and lack of progress, Lesseps...show more content...
The very river that kept destroying the labor and engineering of the workers, along with causing
the mudslides that buried them. After, spending about $287 million and 20,000 worker's lives,
while making little progress in 8 years, it was no wonder why Lesseps quit the canal, in
December 1888. However, the reason why so many workers had died was confounding to the
French. Why had disease struck so profoundly? Thanks to Walter Reed, the answer was
discovered. Walter Reed was an American Physician whose contributions to medical science were
astounding. He is the youngest man to ever have earned a MD at University of Virginia at age 19.
It was he who led the research team in discovering the cause of Yellow Fever. His research was
risky though, experiments had to be done on human volunteers. In that, he had to deliberately infect
humans to test the strain of disease. Speculative, as it may have been his research produced results
in the end. He and his team were able to conclude that the Yellow Fever was not spread through the
people infected with it, but by disease carrying mosquitoes. His discovery not only allowed the
United Sates to resume construction of the Panama Canal, it also gave start to new fields in medical
science such as: epidemiology and biomedicine. In appreciation of his work, he

Panama Canal Summary
MAN MADE WONDER: PANAMA CANAL
PREPARED BY: ISHITA HADVANI
1.ABSTRACT
This term paper contains the information about one of the man–made wonders of the world which
existed as a proof of human power/talent in sustainable survival practice. It is the 48 mile long
(77km) international waterway which provides a passageway to ships between the Atlantic Ocean and
Pacific Ocean, which is globally well known as the PANAMA CANAL.
The paper also reveals some of the very important aspects of engineering which supports the system
supportability and logistics.
2.INTRODUCTION
2.1ABOUT THE BOOK – Remaking the World – Adventures in Engineering
In this book, Henry Petroski has taken us on a lively tour of engineers, their creation and their
necessary turns of mind. This book focuses on the big Malaysia's 1482 foot Petronas Towers and the
Panama Canal. Also, this book is the mixture of creative instinct and of the men and women whose
inspirations have immeasurably improved our world.
From this wonderful book, we are going to discuss about one of the manmade wonders 'Panama
Canal' based on its history and how this made logistics/trade way better than before it appears in the
human world.
2.2Introduction to PANAMA CANAL
Panama Canal is an artificial water way for about 48 miles long which connects the Atlantic Ocean
and the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts through isthmus of Panama which is at sea level but has to
use artificial locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake

Panama Canal Research Paper
Today I am going to talk about the Panama Canal and the history and the determination that it took
to complete this enormous feet. It started with the French in the 1880's but, was abandoned after
technological difficulties and diseases it could not be completed at that time. The need for the
canal was great; for military purposes and for shipping purposes because without this canal ships
would have to go all the way around south america instead of cutting through the canal to get from
the pacific and atlantic oceans. With being able to cut through people save time and money and in
the event of a war the war ships could get there much faster. In order for the United States to be able
to get the land required for the canal the United States

The U.s. Interest in the Panama Canal Essay
Why do you think the United States (U.S.) became involved with Latin America? If you said, it
was because we wanted something, you are right. Throughout history we have always wanted
something from somebody and as customary, we get it. In the case of Latin America, we were in
need of a more logical passage from coast to coast. The perfect solution was, the Panama Canal. We
knew what we needed, so we did everything in our power to get it. President Roosevelt didn't care
how it happened or at what cost as long as it was ours. Once we took control of the canal we would
not relinquish it. It wasn't until 1999 when we finally gave them back their land. Yet, today they are
still paying for our involvement in the canal.
The U.S. needed...show more content...
Theodore Roosevelt himself said "I simply lifted my foot. I took the Isthmus, started the Canal.
(Huberman)
On November 3, 1903, with the guidance (force) from the U.S, the Panamanians received their
independence. Within weeks they gave the U.S. permission to build the canal. Philippe
Bunau–Varilla, a longtime official of the French canal company would negotiate the terms.
(Encarta) The U.S. received more than it had asked for: a perpetual lease on a section where the
canal would be built; the right to take over more land if needed; and the right to use troops to
intervene in Panama. We also agreed to guarantee their independence, pay $10 million, and pay an
annual fee of $250,000. In exchange for their independence, then, Panamanians were forced to accept
the treaty, which no Panamanian ever signed, that virtually gave away the Canal Zone to the U.S.
(Cruises) We stole it right out from under them.
After 34 years and the excavation of 250 million cubic yards of earth and rock, on August 15, 1914
the Canal was officially opened. At that time, no single effort in American history had exacted such
a price in dollars or in human life. (Ared)
From 1904 to 1914 the U.S. spent $352,000,000; the French spending $287,000,000 and the grand
total was $639,000,000. It is estimated that over 80,000 persons took part in the construction and
that over 30,000 lives were lost by both the French

Thesis Statement On The Panama Canal
Thesis
How much do you really know about the Panama Canal? It is the canal that runs through the Isthmus
of Panama and connects the two largest oceans on earth. Back in the nineteenth century some
engineers decided it was a good place to create that canal. Congress wanted to strategically build a
canal in central America but there was debate on where. However the debate was settled in 1904
when Theodore Roosevelt and the United States took over the construction of the Panama Canal
from the French. They then supported a rebellion in Panama to separate from Colombia gaining the
rights to build the canal, which is one of the greatest engineering projects ever, and the most
important canal in the western world.
Background The Panama Canal was first conceived of in the 16th century by the Holy Roman
Emperor Charles V, after it was discovered that there was no natural water route through the
Americas (History.com). The Romans eventually decided that it was impossible to build a canal
...show more content...
This project was doomed from the start because, first of all there wasn't enough surveying done so
Lesseps didn't realize that making a sea level canal was very unwise. Second, there was very poor
management. Many of the staff were not hired with the project in mind, and didn't know anything
about canal building. Many of the spots along the canal had to get re–dug, causing huge budget
problems. The tropical climate also contributed to the failure. They had to clear rainforest, and pay
more to their employees to get them to work in the hot, sticky climate. They also had to worry
about the rust and corroding of their equipment. The diseases caused most of the deaths on the
construction. Yellow fever and malaria were the deadliest diseases. The population still believed
that the diseases were caused by bad air, so their efforts to stop the diseases were doomed from the

The Panama Canal
Shey Gibson
Mr. Grate
World History Period 2
5 December 2015
The Panama Canal The Panama Canal is the only canal in the world to link the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans together. It was built in the country of Panama and first used on August 15th of 1914. It
became one of the most useful canals in the world for trading and transportation. In my opinion, the
creation of the Panama Canal served as a significant human feat because the level of construction
that it required had never been done before, it took major sacrifices by humans and the economy,
as well as created a major world trading route. It has shown to be the most successful North
American Canal. The Panama Canal first began construction the very first day of 1881 on January
1st. Diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps of France was the leader of the Suez Canal construction which
led to him leading the construction of the Panama Canal. He did not examine the location of
construction very well and poorly timed his preconstruction viewing during the dry seasons of
Panama. After the dry season was ended, flooding and storms occurred causing lives to be lost and
delay of construction. Mosquitos carrying malaria and poisonous snakes added to the deaths during
construction averaging to about 200 a month. Although the fabrication of the canal was not as
successful as they had wanted it to be at this time, it lead to the invention of steam shovels because
most machinery were made of steel and had serious rusting problems.

Panama Canal Essay
The Panama Canal has been called the big ditch, the bridge between two continents, and the greatest
shortcut in the world. When it was finally finished in 1914, the 51–mile waterway cut off over 7,900
miles of the distance between New York and San Francisco, and changed the face of the
industrialized world ("Panama Canal"). This Canal is not the longest, the widest, the deepest, or the
oldest canal in the world, but it is the only canal to connect two oceans, and still today is the greatest
man–made waterway in the world ("Panama Canal Connects).
Ferdinand de Lesseps, who played a large role in building the Suez Canal in 1869 (Jones), was the
director of the Compagnie Universelle Du Canal Interoceanique de Panama ("Historical...show more
content...
"In 1907, an American construction crew headed by G.W. Goethals journeyed to Panama to try their
luck where the French had failed" ("Panama Canal Connects").
Before any work could begin, the most deadly of the problems on the isthmus had to be overcome –
disease. The US was afraid of having as many casualties as the French did. To help prevent this
American doctor William Gorgas was asked to examine the area. Gorgas goal was now to eliminate
the mosquito population from the canal. Gorgas and his troops started to cover all standing or
slow–moving bodies of water with a combination of oil and insecticide. These chemicals were put
in to help kill off any mosquitoes. Gorgas also kept all infected persons in a wire–screen tent. The
wire–screen tents would stop all mosquitoes from spreading the diseases.
The "massive" ("Panama Canal") project to wipe out the malaria–carrying mosquito was successful,
and work proceeded without the hazard of disease that doomed the French venture. Work on the
canal was finally continued from where De Lesseps crew stopped (76 million cubic yards of dirt
had already been dug). With out the threat of disease the workers were able to work with out
having the fear of death in the back of their minds. US portion of the canal "construction began at
both ends of the projected canal" ("Actual

Panama Canal Analysis
Major events leading to the construction of the Panama Canal:
–The French impose an effort on the construction of the canal but end in a dejected failure.
–Within the 1900s, John Hay and Julian Pauncefote come to an agreement that allows the United
States to control the construction and administration of the canal without fortifying it
(Hay–Pauncefote Treaty).
–Theodore Roosevelt then becomes president establishing great significance towards the idea that the
United States should behold total management over the canal.
–The second treaty accomplishes the goal that allows the United States' fortification of the canal.
–Due to the lower demands introduced to the senate along with the natural disaster of what Mt.
Momotombo could cause, congress favors Panama.
–Hay then offers negotiations towards Colombia, but the agreement is rejected.
–The superiorities in Washington then exposed the idea that Panama could resolve the Colombian
conflict if they established and won independence as a whole.
–A Panamanian group then plans to initiate a revolution with over 500 rebels.
–United States Naval ships stop Colombian troops from interfering with Panamanian rebels.
–In one day with the help of the U.S. and its naval ships, Panama is granted independence from
Colombia.
–A new treaty is established that explains and distinguishes the rights for building the canal while
also protecting Panama.
–The canal is then built and finalized after seven years of Roosevelt's passing.

The Geography of Panama and the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is one of the greatest works of engineering and modern achievements of mankind.
An all–water passage through the continental divide of the Panama region had been suggested since
early Spanish colonial times of the 16th century. Today a canal that was cut through the Isthmus of
Panama is a reality. It's presence has greatly affected Panama in many ways, politically,
economically, and socially. ThePanama Canal is possibly one of the most well known man made
geographic features ever.
Only five days after the U.S. secured Panama's independence from Columbia, the first canal treaty
was signed with the United States. Signing the treaty...show more content...
The canal is bordered on both sides by the Panama Canal Zone, a strip of land given to the United
States in 1903 but returned to Panama in 1979. The United States turned over the control of the
canal to Panama in 1999. While the Panama Canal is a bridge of water connecting two oceans,
building it ripped Panama apart.
For Panama the opening of the canal meant a great boom in it's economy. Panama has probably
earned about $200 million form the canal every year. In war or peace, more than 12,000 ships from
around the world sail through the fifty–one–mile long Panama Canal every year, carrying 160
million tons of cargo, representing about 5% of the worlds total sea borne trade. The canal is
particularly vital to the economies of South America, connecting the Atlantic coast with the Orient,
and the Pacific coast with Europe. Fifteen percent of all U.S. trade goes through the canal, and the
oil pipeline beside it caries 600,000 barrels of Alaska crude oil to the U.S. eastern seaboard and
beyond. Panama's special geography and history make its people the most cosmopolitan in the
region. Nearly 40 percent of all Panamanians have ancestors who were neither Spanish nor Indian,
but who had came to the isthmus over the last 110 years to build or traverse the canal. Panama is a
service economy, trading, financial, and transportation services account for three

Panama Canal
The PanamГЎ Canal is a man–made 48–mile waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean
to the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for
international maritime trade. The idea of creating a water passage across the famous isthmus of
Panama to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans dates back to at least the 1500s to 1600s , when
Charles the king of spain t tapped his regional governor to survey a route along the Chagres River.
This route at the time seemed as if it was not going to work out well but ended up being one of the
most important trading canals in all of history in the last five centuries. The men behind the Suez
Canal and Eiffel Tower were convicted in connection with failed effort to build a canal.There
were a few nations that would go ahead and try to build the panama canal but they did not
succeed. French company headed by Ferdinand de Lesseps, a former diplomat who developed
Egypt's Suez Canal, began digging a canal across Panama. The project was plagued by poor
planning, engineering problems and tropical diseases that killed thousands of workers. (Elizabeth
Wix, History.com) Yes that is correct, there were over 25,000 people killed during the construction
of the Panama canal. Besided the poor working conditions many people were killed by what is
The new plans to remodel the Panama Canal are projected to cost over 5.25 billion US dollars.
(Greenberg, Peter Peter Greenberg.com) the Panama Canal was the engineering marvel of its time.
The 48–mile canal shortened the trip between San Francisco and New York by 8,000 nautical
miles, changing the way goods and services across the globe. Right now, up to 40 ships a day transit
the canal, saving ships an average of 29 days at sea. However, there is still a backlog of ships each
day that wait to make the journey across the

Panama Canal Essay
Panama Canal Essay The canal was the best thing that ever happened to Panama. The Panama Canal
was started under President Roosevelt and completed by his successor, William Howard Taft. The
canal was built across an isthmus, a narrow body of land that connects two larger land areas, which
connects North and South America. In some places in Panama the isthmus is only 50 miles across.
The French started the canal in the late 1800's. They had just built the then famous Suez Canal with
relative ease. The Suez Canal, unlike the Panama Canal, was a straight canal on level ground, in a
relatively dry climate. The French had failed in building the Panama Canal because of the tropical
climate, in which deadly tropical diseases consumed their...show more content...
Theodore Roosevelt asked the Columbians for permission to build the canal, but they refused. People
living on the isthmus were dissenting from the Columbian government and eventually revolted and
set up the independent Republic of Panama. "It was Roosevelt who "took the isthmus," regardless of
the niceties of international law and Congressional debate." В– The Good Neighbor: Teddy's Big
Ditch, Building the Canal. When the Panamanians revolted Teddy saw this as the perfect investment
to get the canal underway. He supported the Panamanians and sent warships to stop any help from
the Columbian government to put down the rebellion. The Panamanians declared their independence
and were very grateful towards the Americans. The Americans leased a strip of land, called the
Panama Canal Zone, for $10,000,000. The land was forty–five miles long and ten miles wide and the
American's paid a $430,000 rent every year. In 1904, they agreed to let the United States build the
canal, which was continued on the old French canal.
The canal cost a little more than $395,000,000 and was considered the "В…greatest man–made
waterwayВ…" В– Our American Neighbors: Panama, Crossroads of the World. The canal has been
a great source of revenue for the U.S. and Panama. Each ship that passes through the canal pays by
the ton of cargo it has. The larger ships that pass through the canal pay from $15,000 to $20,000. The
52,000 American and Panamanians that lived in the Panama

The Importance of the Panama Canal
The isthmus of the canal was first mentioned in 1543 when Charles V, the King of Spain and the
Holy Roman Empire ordered a search for a route through the Americas that would allow for easier
passage from Spain to Peru. The King of Scotland attempted to set up an overland trade route in
1698, but gave up in April of 1700. Italian noble and naval Officer, Allesandro Malaspina outlined
plans for construction of a canal 88 years later. Even at the very beginning of European activity in
the Americas, humans understood the importance of this thin strip of land separating the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans. The discovery of gold in 1849 caused a great rush to get from the Atlantic
coast to the Pacific, and in 1855 the Panama Railway opened. Still, a water route was still sought.
That same year, William Kennish surveyed the area and reported a proposition for the Canal,
while working for the U.S. government. Armand Reclus, in 1877, an officer in the French Navy,
and Lucien Napoleon Bonaparte Wyse, also surveyed the route and looked to build a canal similar
to their Suez success. Beginning January 1, 1881, the builder of the Suez Canal, supported by the
French government, designed a "lockless" canal; the weather and terrain caused bankruptcy and
killed an estimated 22000 men due to accidents and disease. There had been a lack of study in
geology of the area, and the men in charge of the project had a negligible amount of experience. The
steam shovels that existed were of little help,

The Impact Of The Panama Canal On Latin America
Latin America Challenge Centers
Maggie Hall
Panama Canal
This is a good thing about Latin America because it would probably impact the economy if it wasn't
there. It is the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal is a waterway that brings together the Atlantic
Ocean and Pacific Ocean. It really helped trade in Latin America. The canal was built by the
Americans in 1904 and a lot of leaders took over the project, including John Wallace, John
Stevens and George Washington Goethals. The project was finished in 1914 after taking 10
years to build. The Panama Canal is an important feature to Latin America because it is a quicker
way to import and export goods or cargo. It made it easier because instead of going all the way
around South America you can go through Panama which saves you a lot of time. That means a
lot of more ships pass through. If there was no Panama Canal like I said it would take a lot longer to
travel to bring stuff somewhere by water. I also think there would be less ships traveling because not
a lot of people would like to travel a long time at sea. I also think a lot of people would die because
the trip would take so long. That is how the Panama Canal impacted Latin America in a good way.
Natural Disaster
Natural disasters cause a lot of damage to the economies in Latin America when they happen. The
damage can last for months, years or even decades. Natural disasters are hard for everyone, but it is
even harder for Latin American countries to recover

Panama Canal Essay
In the incident of MV Sagittarius in 2012, which was under investigation for suspicious deaths at
sea, is a further example of problems with flags of convenience. The vessel flew the Panama flag
and had the crew from Indonesia, were shipping coal from Australia to Japan. Within a six week
period two crew members died by suspicious deaths upon the ship, with repeated reports of
harassment, bullying, criminal activity and poor labour conditions, due to lack of screening and
oversight of operations. The Panama Canal is a popular area for flags of convenience for vessels
wanting a safe harbour and refuge, and to avoid tax and screening issues. It is an area well known
for the lack of stipulated rules and regulations. Within these lowered standards of registration are
accusations of corruption, accidents, and investigation into sub–standard labour issues. Question
Yes they both have the same name and both are about things, but apparently, this is where the
similarity stops, it did not stem from the Roman Law nor was it a foundation of firmly set English
law, it was derived from jurisprudence to solve an actual problem. Apparently there is one area
where the action in rem may have come from the civil law, and that is the maritime lien, it is one of
uncertain development, looking at the case of "The Bold Buccleugh", Sir John Jervis said that the
lien does have some foundations in civil law, this particular thought has been widely debated. If we
refer back to the Admiralty Act 1861 (Imp), it states that you could have a statutory right to proceed
in rem, which means it is untrue regarding its foundations in a maritime

Essay about The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal
For centurys man has used water as way to get from one place to another very quickly. The
Panama Canal is no exception. From around the start of the 16th century people have been trying to
find a way to cut a canal across the Isthmus of Panama. Many misfortunes and deaths have been
sacrificed to obtain this goal. Finally in 1914 the American had completed one of the greatest feats
of all time the Panama Canal, cutting a many months journey to nine hours.
The Panama Canal;
The Shorter Trade Route.
Europeans had wanted of Central American canal as early as the 16thy century; President Ulysses S.
Grant sent seven expeditions to study the feasibility of digging the cannel. As travel and trade...show
more content...
The Dutch developed the pound lock system. The Lock system uses a series of chambers that can
be flooded or drained so the ship can change elevation. This allowed canals to be built where
elevation made it impossible. This brings us to the modern era of canal building and one of the
greatest engineering feats of all time the Panama Canal.
The French
A French Developer Ferdinand de Lesseps believed that the Panama Canal could make lots of
money for investors. The French cut a broad path through the jungle and on January 20, 1882 they
commenced digging. They brought with them tons of modern equipment. They had steam shovels
and locomotive and dredges. Their work crews were mostly black and Indian labors.
In the first months, the digging proceeded slowly but steadily. Then the rain began and the French
faced many dangers. The crew faced miles upon mile of impassable jungle, and very heavy rain. In
the jungle they also faced insects, snakes, swamps, small pox, malaria, yellow fever, and flooding of
the charges river.
The Charges sakes across the canal route a total of fourteen times. The French dammed the river so
they could drudge the canal but every time it would rain the river would swell and break the dams.
It would sweep away workers, destroy equipment, and fill in the canal with sediment. If that wasn't
enough the stagnate water that was formed, breaded large amount of deadly insects. Three out of
four men

Panama Canal Essay
Panama Canal Essay The canal was the best thing that ever happened to Panama. The Panama Canal
was started under President Roosevelt and completed by his successor, William Howard Taft. The
canal was built across an isthmus, a narrow body of land that connects two larger land areas, which
connects North and South America. In some places in Panama the isthmus is only 50 miles across.
The French started the canal in the late 1800's. They had just built the then famous Suez Canal with
relative ease. The Suez Canal, unlike the Panama Canal, was a straight canal on level ground, in a
relatively dry climate. The French had failed in building the Panama Canal because of the tropical
climate, in which deadly tropical diseases consumed their...show more content...
The second person was Colonel William Gorgas, who was chosen to stamp out the deadly tropical
diseases. The third was the great engineer, Colonel George Goethals, who was charged with cutting
through the treacherous mountain range. Instead of cutting straight though the land, he devised
building lochs, in which the boats would be raised gradually.
Back then the land in which the canal was to be built was owned by Columbia. Theodore Roosevelt
asked the Columbians for permission to build the canal, but they refused.
People living on the isthmus were dissenting from the Columbian government and eventually
revolted and set up the independent Republic of Panama. "It was Roosevelt who "took the isthmus,"
regardless of the niceties of international law and Congressional debate." – The Good Neighbor:
Teddy's Big Ditch, Building the Canal. When the Panamanians revolted Teddy saw this as the perfect
investment to get the canal underway. He supported the Panamanians and sent warships to stop any
help from the Columbian government to put down the rebellion. The Panamanians declared their
independence and were very grateful towards the Americans. The Americans leased a strip of land,
called the Panama Canal Zone, for $10,000,000. The land was forty–five miles long and ten miles
wide and the American's paid a $430,000 rent every year. In 1904, they agreed to let the United

The Panama Canal Essay
The Panama Canal
In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt had a dream of a dominant America in both major oceans, connected
by an American canal. With his inspiration, construction began on what has been called the largest
project of any kind ever undertaken. Now that it is complete, the Panama Canal makes the world a
much smaller place for ocean–going vessels of all sizes.
Ideas for a canal across Panama have been in the works ever since the time the isthmus was
discovered. In 1513, Vasco NuГ±ez de Balboa crossed the 50–mile wide land bridge and claimed the
water on the other side in the name of Spain. Shortly after, in 1534, a team was sent to survey
possible canal routes that would follow the Chagres River, but it...show more content...
The low, green mountains in the area look tame and easy to dig through, but looks can be deceiving.
Instead of being formed by the lateral pressure of two plates colliding with one another, these
mountains were formed by individual volcanic activity, causing very inconsistent rock formations
beneath the surface. Adding to this confusion is the fact that over the course of its geologic history,
the isthmus has gone through periods of submersion, which adds some marine formations to the mix.
The environment in Panama is also deceptively attractive looking. Extremely close to the equator,
the isthmus is covered in tropical rainforest similar to the Amazon. This kind of environment
incubates diseases such as smallpox, yellow fever, and malaria, not to mention the poisonous
snakes and insects that it breeds. Two seasons exist there: wet and dry. During the wet season,
heavy rains combine with the topography of the land to cause flash flooding on the Chagres River,
causing it to rise up to 40 feet in a 24 hour period (www.pancanal.com).
The first true effort to dig a canal across the isthmus was made by privately–funded Frenchmen. In
Paris in 1879, a meeting of the Societe de Geographie was held to discuss possible plans for a canal.
At the meeting 14 different ideas were proposed. One of the more prominent plans was presented
by Baron Godin de Lepinay, and was very similar to

Panama Canal Essay
The world of today is strikingly different from the world of years past. Today, in the glorified
"Digital Age", it may seem that the general level of knowledge is decreasing. The children in this
generation may not know the answers to how the United States acquired the Panama Canal or even
the geography of the United States (Source 5). However, this generation has scored higher on IQ
tests than previous generations, indicating a rise in the "pure thinking capacity" of this generation
(Source 2). It is not that the new generation is "dumb", but rather this generation prioritizes different
information. While the knowledge of the acquisition of the Panama Canal and the geography of the
United States are useful to know, this generation has been influenced towards a growing focus on
specialized learning, namely: science, technology, engineering,...show more content...
After all, it is the "Digital Age", filled with instant messaging, video games, and rapid
technological developments. Older generations may have learned who wrote the oratorio
"Messiah", which according to Source 2, "35 percent of college senior knew in 2002, compared
with 56 percent in 1955." Older generations may have been more attentive to political affairs; the
percentage of college freshmen who keep up with political affairs is down 24 percent (Source 2).
Older generations may have a wider, general knowledge than that of this new generation, but the
times have changed, and the focus is now on specialized learning. For example, young people
have "geeked out" on specific topics or talents, creating "specialized knowledge groups" that aim to
improve one's knowledge about the topic by discussing with peers (Source 3). These young people
often have a passion or are highly motivated in learning their trade. This difference in learning
creates the illusion that this newer generation is "dumber"; however, the new generation is only
more specialized in its

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