The Importance of the Panama Canal

576 Words2 Pages

The Panama Canal
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.
Firstly, the Panama Canal was revolutionary because of its commercial value. It helped merchants by shortening the journey from both European and U.S. merchant ships traveling east from the Californian coast (Source 2). Without the canal, any ships setting s...

Show More
Related

  • United States: Thirst for New Market

    527 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Comparison Of President Theodore Roosevelt, Roosevelt Vs. Roosevelt

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    Next, he built the Panama Canal to protect both seas of America.

    Read More

  • Theodore Roosevelt's Shaping of America

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...dered the construction of the Panama Canal which connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

    Read More

  • Panama Canal Compare And Contrast Essay

    587 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever wondered why both the Panama Canal and the Great Wall of China are such iconic land marks for the countries they are in? It’s because of the magnitude of effort that took to create such massive structures. Hard work, blood, tears, sweat and certainly patience played part in the creation of such marvels. However the purpose behind each structure and the challenges builders faced during their construction is what truly sets them apart.

    Read More

  • Teddy Roosevelt and the Panama Canal

    520 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • The Erie Canal and Western Development

    1777 Words  | 4 Pages

    The completion of the canal in 1825 led to a two way trade system. Boats would travel East with supplies from the Great Lakes and the surrounding territory and return with settlers and passengers travelling West, which became an extensive business (Johnson 375). The economic success and prosperity of the Canal also provided motivation for the construction of railroads West, including the transcontinental railroad (Seelye 264). The Erie Canal determined the flow of commerce in the United States for over a century (Seelye 252).

    Read More

  • Building the Panama Canal

    1573 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...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.

    Read More

  • The History of the Panama Canal

    1703 Words  | 4 Pages

    The History of the Panama Canal The Panama Canal is 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 Overview").

    Read More

  • The Railroad Boom

    1300 Words  | 3 Pages

    The main reason for the transcontinental railroads to be built was to bring the east and west together. The building of these railroads caused huge economic growth throughout the United States. The railroad created opportunities for everyone across the US.

    Read More

  • Panama History and Culture

    1384 Words  | 3 Pages

    The culture and political structures of Panama as we know it today has evolved from an incredibly diverse and interesting history. Geographically, Panama lies on an isthmus, a strip of land that essentially connects the greater landmasses of North and South America. It is believed that volcanic activity in the late Pliocene era closed the former Central American Seaway that had separated the two continents. The climatic implications of this landform are incredible, allowing for the redistribution of oceanic currents and the formation of the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic of today.

    Read More

  • Panama Canal Essay

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Panama Canal was one of the largest projects in history. It spanned over a decade with over 5,000 employees working daily on it. President Theodore Roosevelt, in his autobiography, spoke about the impact of the canal on his career, “By far the most important action I took in foreign affairs during the time I was President was related to the Panama Canal.” Roosevelt believes that the Panama Canal was the biggest thing he had done during his presidency for America. Although many historians are not certain if the canal was financially beneficial, the canal undoubtedly led America to become the imperialist power it is today. Although in 1999 the United States lost control of the canal, it still remains a key reason for America’s success as a nation.

    Read More

  • Panama Canal Essay

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Erie Canal Research Paper

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Erie Canal

    1595 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Erie Canal created what was the first reliable transportation system, connecting the eastern seaboard (New York) and the western interior (Great Lakes) of the United States that did not require on land travel. Along with making water routes faster then travel on land it also cut costs of travel by 95 percent. The canal started a population surge in western New York, and opened regions farther west to settlement. This was the start of New York City becoming the chief U.S. port.

    Read More

  • The Usage and Control of Waterways

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    The control/usage of waterways is important to the economic and political factors of society today and in the past. One way is that the control/usage of the waterways helped many of the civilizations here today start. For example Egypt, China, India, etc. Another way is that the control/usage of the waterways helped made the trading between other civilizations easier which made civilizations become more exposed to other cultures. The next way is that the control/usage of the waterways helped make agriculture grows which helped lead to making currency’s and trade happen. In many documents it shows that many of the trade routes, civilizations, and farmers needed waterways to become the future. In the long run, the control/usage of waterways had many effects on the political and economic factors of society.

    Read More

More about The Importance of the Panama Canal

Open Document