From the very beginnings of the United States, its waterways have provided a way for Americans to increase their standard of living. Ports like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore all were important during colonial times and are still important today. US ports and waterways systems are truly a national resource. US ports and waterways have historically performed a role as the critical lifeline for our nation’s international and domestic trade since the birth of our country. Like any other national resource, it must be cared for and cultivated to meet the growing needs of its users, which include not only the direct users, but also each and every citizen. This cultivation must include consideration of future needs such as projected growth in waterborne commerce and characteristics and technology developments associated with its direct users (carriers, shippers, importers and exporters).
The national transportation system was composed of relatively discrete units of rail, road and water transportation sub-systems, which interfaced by necessity rather than by design. Today, due to increasing cargo volumes and competition from other national port systems, the cornerstone of our national port and waterways system must be the recognition that intermodalism maximizes the efficiency of our system and provides the well marked pathways to future planning and development efforts. Intermodalism requires a seamless transportation system, which provides smooth transition of cargo from one transportation mode to the other. It also requires the recognition that the waterborne and land based infrastructure must develop with the needs of the users in mind. These developments must include developing technology in the areas of ship design and onboard equipment, vessels traffic systems, aids, and port access programs that efficiently link marine transportation systems to their rail and road links.
We as a nation benefited initially from the water access to our trade and we benefit now. There was no need for any national debate on the subject; ports needed to be deeper and channels needing to be kept clear. Using public funds through the use of the US Army Corp of Engineers solved much of the problem. Port access is important to understanding the change. A limitation in depth became a problem at many of the country's ports. The corp. also used private contractors, which were funded through the Corps of Engineers' budget. Maintaining the waterways was important for the nation commercially, nationally, the funds were used to accomplish the national objective. The Navy was always around various ports and that continues today.
The U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin, submitted a comprehensive plan to bring the new nation together with roads and canals system sponsored by the government in 1808 (capca). He came up with this ideal of creating an inland waterway along the Atlantic coast from Boston, Massachusetts, to St. Mary’s, Georgia. The ideal would mainly need the construction of four canals, which was estimated to cost $3 million. He thought that his whole program could be completed in ten years (capca).
...more of an imperialistic nation, which was Roosevelt?s goal all along. In 1977, the United States signed a treaty with Panama stating that the U.S. would end its control beginning in the year 2000, and Panama would resume the operation and defense of the Panama Canal. Therefore, presently, the Panama Canal is neutral, but is still very important due to the U.S. We still have a say on what happens to and goes on around the canal, and if something were to happen to stop the flow of the ships through the canal, the United States would be allowed to step in and take care of the problem. Over the last ten years, nearly $100 million have been spent on repairing and widening the canal. Through all the thinking, planning, hard labor, and toiling put into the Panama Canal, the canal became arguably the most important canal ever and one of the greatest engineering feats ever.
The United States Merchant Marines The United States Merchant Marines are complied of thousands of the best trained men and women of today to man naval or commercial ships. Merchant Marines have dated back even further then the United States Coast Guard. The Merchant Marines have had a huge impact on the United States Navy since they have been established. Merchant Marines have manned fleets of ships for the U.S. Navy which carry imports and export during peace time.
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 workers, and because of the mountain range in which they could not cut through. He had planned to build the canal in the way of the Suez Canal, straight and sea level. You can see the trouble with trying to cut out that much land, through the mountain range, making it at sea level. The Americans tried their hand in the early 1900’s. Three main people helped made the canal a success. Teddy Roosevelt was one of those people; he saw the military importance of a canal. He called for the cruiser, Oregon, to sail around South America from San Francisco to Cuba so it could be present in the battle at Santiago Bay. The entire journey took ten weeks. He was the driving force in getting the permission to build the canal because he realized the importanc...
The river that connected the West with the East allowed the quick and cheap exportation of natural resources from the fertile middle region of the nation to the industrialized East, in which they would be manufactured into finished goods and shipped to other countries. For example, the costs of the shipment of goodsfrom Additionally, the Erie Canal provided a trade route extending to the Atlantic ocean, which allowed the and thus making New York the “Atlantic port of choice” for many merchants. Had the Erie Canal not been constructed, trade today would solely go south down the Mississippi River, through the ports of New
After the Spanish-American War in 1898 the U.S. had a physical desire for the canal. We now needed a faster way for our navy to access the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. So in "1902 - 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt decided that we needed the Panama Canal and tried to negotiate a treaty with Colombia." (Encarta) Unfortunately, for them, the Colombian government would reject all our offers.
“The founders of Confederation gave the Senate the important role of protecting regional, provincial and minority interest” (Parliament of Canada, 2015). Basically, every region had the same number of seats in order to ensure them an equal voice in the Senate. As new territories and provinces entered Confederation, seats were added. Today, there are 105 seats that represent the Senate. The Maritimes Division has 24 seats, the Ontario Division has 24 seats, the Quebec Division has 24 seats, the Western Division has 24 seats, and additional representation; such as Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory and Nunavut has a total of 9 seats (Pouliot, 2015). Moreover, the Constitution also allowed the Senate to temporarily
Before the locks and dams were even created, the Army Corps of Engineers had to first fix the river. As said before, the Upper Mississippi was a dangerous place. Boats would get caught on trees, large rocks, (and) the water levels would fluctuate from dangerously low to dangerously high. To avoid rapid flooding at extreme lows on the river, the Army Corps of Engineers
During the construction of the Panama Canal, tens of thousands of workers worked, sacrificed, and died for the cause. The building of the canal was crucial for the American and European countries. With technological advances of the late 19th century and increased pressure from the industrial powerhouses of Europe and the United States, the decision to begin construction was taken (Source 2). The Panama Canal, considered as one of the greatest achievements in history, was an international waterway that allowed ships to pass between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean (Source 3). It was previously controlled by France, which would then be sold to the United States. The Panama Canal was essential to the United States because of its commercial value and importance in the development of U.S. imperialism and power.
Traversed by the rivers Rhine, Maas and Scheldt as they meander towards the North Sea, the Netherlands is a hub of transport and distribution: a natural gateway to Europe and centre for multinational enterprise. Its advantages include an advanced infrastructure both for transport and telecommunications. Many Asian and North American imports to Europe are transhipped at Rotterdam or Amsterdam, the country’s two transport centres.
Grouchier, C & Walton, L. 2013. The maritime world: The Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean World. Vol 2. London & New York.
The Expansion of the Panama Canal may double the canal’s capacity and allow haulers to bring their Asian goods to the Eastern and Gulf coast for less money. With large new locks the canal will be able to handle larger vessels that can carry three times as many containers. This process of moving more cargo efficiently will reduce operating expenses from transporters. As a result, the Panama Canal will accommodate Post-Panamax ships. These ships
Much of our modern day information about the Maritime economy has been primarily based on the historical happenings in the global economy. As world become ever more globalized and interlinked, maritime shipping is experiencing challenges as well as enjoying greater business opportunities. Maritime shipping is mainly the primary means of transporting parts and the finished goods around the world. Because shipping is such an old industry, with a history of continuous change, sometimes gradual and occasionally catastrophe, Time and again we find that shipping and trade will slipway from the economy and then magical reappear in some new voyages no other industry has played such a central part in the economic voyages over thousands of years. The airline industry is shipping’s closest counterpart and it has barely 60 years of economic history. It plays a fundamental role in the economic development and trade of countries. In essence, economic development, trade and transport are mutually supportive. Ocean liner shipping is a regularly scheduled service on established ocean routes between countries or areas. Liners carry primarily manufactured goods that are relatively high in value. Although liners account for less than 53% of all freight, they amount for more than 93% of U.S. freight. (http://www.wto.org) A striking feature of the shipping business to outsiders is the different character of the companies in different parts of the industry. Liner companies and bulk shipping companies belong to the same industry, but they seem to have little else in common. There are several different groups of companies involved in the transport chain, some directly and others indirectly. The direct players are the cargo owners, often the p...
In the 1930s, after the canal was finished, officials decided that the water supply they had access to wouldn’t be enough to fill it sufficiently. The location of the dam was conveniently located alongside the Chagres River. The workers were able to use the location of the river to build the Madden Dam which was finished in 1935. It created Alajuela Lake. They were able to add more locks to the canal, and it was able to carry larger ships. If the river wasn’t there, the canal would not be as successful as it is today because it wouldn’t have the amount of water it needed to carry huge cargo and warships. Before the U.S. took on the project, they needed to decide where to build the canal. The French had attempted to build in Panama in 1870, but left because of the diseases, rain, and monetary issues. The United States examined the physical characteristics of both Panama and Nicaragua. Panama was mountainous so the canal would need many complex locks. Nicaragua was flat, and had many lakes. Nicaragua was the first choice for the canal, but the active volcanoes prompted them to choose Panama. The physical characteristics of Central America played a huge role, and if Nicaragua didn’t have volcanoes, we would know the Nicaragua canal; not the
• Navy: This incorporates all parts of water transport, including ports, oil tankers, and marine firefighting.