The Panama Canal is one of the most unique things built even today. Without it, ships would have to travel an extra 8,000 miles around the tip of South America in order to get from the Pacific to the Atlantic. 32 Years from blueprints to opening, built by French, American, and Spanish, with an estimated death toll of 22,000. For hundreds of years different people had surveyed the land or considered creating some type of route such as the Panama Canal. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V(Charles I of Spain)(1513) was the first to actually propose a canal. Once again in 1852, General Ulysses S. Grant made the next proposal, this time through a slightly different route. The problem was that at the time it was literally an impossible task financially, legally, and physically! Even during the actual construction it proved to be a very difficult construction.
Though the French originally had began construction when Panama was still part of Columbia, the US did not have permission to continue that project after the French were no longer able to continue the construction to the thousands of deaths due to malaria or yellow fever. Along with that the French had by far run out of money they could use on the canal. The project was at a stop. For 14 years, nothing was physically done to the to be canal. The work at this point seemed to be pointless. What needed to be done, and was in the process was the emancipation of Panama from Columbia. Panama wanted to continue the construction, while Columbia was the only thing stopping this, Panama finally became independent and the canal could finally be resumed. On May 4th, 1904 the construction began once more, this time by the United States who ended up spending over $300 million for land rights and construction. Originally the project was initiated by Count Ferdinand de Lesseps on January 10th, 1880, starting in Culebra. This time the project was started under the power of Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt made sure the protect was completed, and was able to provide the necessary funding.
Due to the fact that the canal was going to need to be created through a rain forest, the workers also faced the problem of high humidity and extremely difficult task when it came to clearing out the 238,845,587 cubic yards of earth that were removed. That is the equivalent to 135,707.72 cubic miles! The process of construction by the US was finally finished on August 15th, 1914. The locks that were built were the largest ever. There had never been the need to build such a large canal. Currently, there is the need and already the project for the expansion of the canal as the canal can only fit ships that are 106 feet wide or less, 965 feet long or less, and go 39.5 feet below water or less. This means that most modern ships cannot fit through. The largest ship to ever go through the canal and set what is called the panamax was a Disney Cruise liner.
Years later the rights for the canal were changed all the way up until 1999. This was due to may problems in the Panamanian governments such as tyrants overthrowing the government, and riots that involved the US base. Other things such as passage rights, and student rebellions against the US at the canal have created many legal problems concerning the land rights. As well as disputes as to who should have what passage rights. Finally in 1999, George H. W. Bush signed over what was owned by the US and released all of the rights the US had to Panama. Of course, this was not before capturing the major Tyrant of Panama.
Currently there are about 9,000 people employed at the Panama Canal. The canal has received some major upgrades since the day it opened. Some of which include new safety features, newer trains to pull the ships or boats along, and also some reinforcements. The new expansion would enable the ships to pass through quicker as the canal's locks would have a larger capacity due to an extra set of locks. On average it takes anywhere from 8-10 hours to pass through the canal.
Bennett, Ira Elbert. History of the Panama Canal: Its Construction and Builders. Historival Publishing Company. 1915.
LaFeber, Walter. The Panama Canal: The Crisis in Historical Perspective. Offord University Press US. 1989
Mann, Elizabeth. Rangel, Fernando. The Panama Canal. Mikaya Press. 1998
McCullough, David. The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914. Simon and Schuster. 1977.
Though the French originally had began construction when Panama was still part of Columbia, the US did not have permission to continue that project after the French were no longer able to continue the construction to the thousands of deaths due to malaria or yellow fever. Along with that the French had by far run out of money they could use on the canal. The project was at a stop. For 14 years, nothing was physically done to the to be canal. The work at this point seemed to be pointless. What needed to be done, and was in the process was the emancipation of Panama from Columbia. Panama wanted to continue the construction, while Columbia was the only thing stopping this, Panama finally became independent and the canal could finally be resumed. On May 4th, 1904 the construction began once more, this time by the United States who ended up spending over $300 million for land rights and construction. Originally the project was initiated by Count Ferdinand de Lesseps on January 10th, 1880, starting in Culebra. This time the project was started under the power of Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt made sure the protect was completed, and was able to provide the necessary funding.
Due to the fact that the canal was going to need to be created through a rain forest, the workers also faced the problem of high humidity and extremely difficult task when it came to clearing out the 238,845,587 cubic yards of earth that were removed. That is the equivalent to 135,707.72 cubic miles! The process of construction by the US was finally finished on August 15th, 1914. The locks that were built were the largest ever. There had never been the need to build such a large canal. Currently, there is the need and already the project for the expansion of the canal as the canal can only fit ships that are 106 feet wide or less, 965 feet long or less, and go 39.5 feet below water or less. This means that most modern ships cannot fit through. The largest ship to ever go through the canal and set what is called the panamax was a Disney Cruise liner.
Years later the rights for the canal were changed all the way up until 1999. This was due to may problems in the Panamanian governments such as tyrants overthrowing the government, and riots that involved the US base. Other things such as passage rights, and student rebellions against the US at the canal have created many legal problems concerning the land rights. As well as disputes as to who should have what passage rights. Finally in 1999, George H. W. Bush signed over what was owned by the US and released all of the rights the US had to Panama. Of course, this was not before capturing the major Tyrant of Panama.
Currently there are about 9,000 people employed at the Panama Canal. The canal has received some major upgrades since the day it opened. Some of which include new safety features, newer trains to pull the ships or boats along, and also some reinforcements. The new expansion would enable the ships to pass through quicker as the canal's locks would have a larger capacity due to an extra set of locks. On average it takes anywhere from 8-10 hours to pass through the canal.
Bennett, Ira Elbert. History of the Panama Canal: Its Construction and Builders. Historival Publishing Company. 1915.
LaFeber, Walter. The Panama Canal: The Crisis in Historical Perspective. Offord University Press US. 1989
Mann, Elizabeth. Rangel, Fernando. The Panama Canal. Mikaya Press. 1998
McCullough, David. The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914. Simon and Schuster. 1977.
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