Vasco Nunez de Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean in 1513 while exploring what is now Panama. In 1849, the Panama Railroad was incorporated to provide quicker transport for people traveling to California during the Gold Rush. The French attempted to build a sea-level canal across the isthmus from 1880-1888 but failed due to poor planning, disease, and financial issues. The United States then took over the project in 1903 and succeeded in building a lock-canal through Panama from 1903-1914 after gaining control of the region. The canal was a major engineering achievement that allowed ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, cutting travel time significantly.