Why Did They Build the Panama Canal?

The Panama Canal was built to cut shipping time between the Atlantic and Pacific.

The Panama Canal was conceived of and constructed to provide explorers and traders with a waterway to connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean between the North and South American continents. It was and remains an important route for ships because without it, South America would have to be circumnavigated---an extra 12,000 miles of formidable travel.

Early History

Spanish explorer Rodrigo de Bastidas discovered Panama in 1501. A year later, Christopher Columbus sailed along Panama's coast, but it wasn't until 1529 that a survey was ordered to find out if it was possible to build a canal across the narrow strip of land between the Atlantic and the Pacific; in 1534 the Spanish proposed a canal route almost identical to today's canal. Due to concerns in Europe (wars, exploration) Spanish plans for canal construction were postponed.

French Involvement

In 1881, after the French successfully built the Suez Canal, French Count Ferdinand de Lesseps led efforts to construct the Panama Canal. Unfortunately, the French were disorganized and planned poorly. Worse, the mosquitoes were especially perilous during the eight-year project, and more than 25,000 laborers died of yellow fever or malaria. The French abandoned canal construction after their main investor declared bankruptcy and sold their infrastructure, tools, and resources to the U.S. government in 1904.

U.S. Entrance

The United States became increasingly interested in the completion of the Panama Canal after the Spanish-American War in 1898. Both the Philippines and Puerto Rico were acquired by the U.S., and Hawaii was added to the union. Theodore Roosevelt was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy at the time, and he recognized the usefulness of the inter-ocean passageway. After Roosevelt became president in 1901, the U.S. Congress passed the Spooner Bill, giving the government permission and $40 million to build the Panama Canal.

Canal Completion

The U.S. began its work on the Panama Canal in 1904. The worksite was in poor condition after having been abandoned by the French---overgrown vegetation, rusted equipment, and no facilities for the laborers. Yellow fever was also an obstacle for the Americans, but they had better ways of dealing with the mosquitoes than the French and were able to eradicate the problem. The canal itself was finished in 1907, but it wasn't until 1914---after the locks were added, a dam was built, and the canal was filled with water---that it was ready for use.

Interesting Facts

The estimated cost of the Panama Canal in 1785 was $200,000. By the time it was finished and in use in 1914, the total cost had reached $639 million. More than 262,000,000 cubic yards of dirt was moved in digging the canal, which would be enough to make one city block piled 19 miles into the sky. A cement boat named Cristobal was the first to make its way through the canal, going from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean---without going around South America---for the first time.

References

• "Latin American Studies": Brief History of the Panama Canal.
• "Global Security": Panama Canal History.

Resources

• "Panama Canal Museum"