American ingenuity has always carried a worldwide legacy. Contributing to our ingenuity is the pride we have in our work, the dedication with which we pursue it, the discipline we have in our efforts and the quality of our work. Seen throughout history, all these factors certainly were manifest in the building of the Panama Canal. While recognized as a testament to the will of Theodore Roosevelt, it is actually a testament to the will of America. The unknown story of the Panama goes far beyond the actual construction of the canal. Surrounding the famed story is the time before construction, the acquisition of the land, and eventually its construction.
Long before anyone had the idea to connect the oceans, travelers had to take a different approach to crossing. Sailors, traders, merchants and ferries had to sail around all of Africa before the Panama was built. Obviously, this method was not only costly, but also dangerous. Economically, ships had to be better supplied to endure the harsh waters surrounding Africa. Often times, this created a loss of money for traders, who spent more money on food and supplies than they made on their sales [Conniff, Michael L]. Since African waters were also littered with Pirates, the risk of transportation often times outweighed the benefits. The alternative was not a perfect solution, however. If sailors wished to avoid sailing around Africa, the crew would have to unload on the coast and manually transport their cargo to the opposite shore. Once they reached the shore, another company boat would be waiting for them and they would reload their supplies onto it. This method was also riddled with problems. Often times, men would die of disease or from savage attacks during their ...
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...Up to that point, it was the greatest, bravest and most expensive project undertaken by our government [Conniff, Michael L]. The project demanded over ten years of construction, which was preceded by the five years it took to acquire the Isthmus. Still in use, the canal further connected the world. Ocean to ocean, the Panama changed the face of travel and trade. A courageous historical engineering marvel, the Panama Canal is a witness to American ingenuity, gumption and dedication.
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The United States believed that by using economic expansion method they could expand and explore their economy; their economy was dependent on foreign trade due of increasing agriculture and manufacturing exports. America paid money to Panama to get control of the Panama Canal. It begun in 1904 and completed in 1914. They did this because they needed strong power over the world to protect its trading interests and it also empowered America to expand its economy and military influence. US believed that control over sea was the answer to the world preemi...
Henretta, James A., and David Brody. America: A Concise History. Vol. 1. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2009.
Over the course of the Spanish-American war , the obvious need for a canal came apparent.The canal would stregthen the navy, and it would make easier defense of the islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The problem of where to build the canal came into play. Congress rejected Nicaragua and Panama was an unwilling part of this project. The course of the building was shifted to Colu...
Goldfield, David. The American Journey A History of the United States. New Jersey: Pearson 2011
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In conclusion, there were constantly problems arising during the construction of the Erie Canal. Even though the Erie Canal definitely helped boost economic activity and industrialization in Upstate New York, it also caused more and more people becoming reliable on the government. It also helped bring morality and ethics into their everyday decisions. The major hope of the Erie Canal was to make the United States a better country, but there were obviously paradoxes that came along with that goal.
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George Browm Tindall, David Emory Shi. American History: 5th Brief edition, W. W. Norton & Company; November 1999
The current size, inherent values, and economic status of the United States owes greatly to the paramount figures and events that took place during the Early National Period of the country. However, while there is no doubt that such events- and the figures behind them- were of great importance and have molded the country into the pristine product that it is today, the various construction projects of that time have gone largely unnoticed. Canals, being one of the most prominent advances in transportation, are prime examples of forgotten catalysts of the American nation. The construction of canals- particularly the Erie Canal- during the 19th century played a key role in the geographic, economic, and cultural development of the country by
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In the early days of America’s expansion westward, travel from the coast of North America into the heartland of the continent, was certainly a reoccurring problem. DeWitt Clinton, who served as the mayor of New York City and later Governor of New York State, had the vision and drive to build the first 363-mile long Erie Canal. In doing this DeWitt felt that America would control the expansion westward. It was feared that if the United States did not have a good connection to the west, that Canada could connect to the west and further more en...
Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot's History of the United States: from Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror. New York, NY: Sentinel, 2007. Print.