what is the history of the Panama Canal?

Answer 1

It cost too much and took too long for ships to go around South America from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans.

The US looked for a good spot, picked Panama and dug a canal using locks to get from one to the other.

Panama now has control of their country once again and the US is thinking about cutting another canal through Mexico to do the same thing.






g-day!

Answer 2

The History of the Panama Canal goes back almost to the earliest explorers of the Americas. The narrow land bridge between North and South America offers a unique opportunity to create a water passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This potential was recognised by the earliest colonists of Central America, and schemes for such a canal were floated several times in the subsequent years.
By the late-1800s, technological advances and commercial pressure advanced to the point where construction started in earnest. An initial attempt by France to build a sea-level canal failed, but only after a great amount of excavation was carried out. This was of use to the effort by the United States which finally resulted in the present Panama Canal in 1914. Along the way, the nation of Panama was created by division from Colombia after the Thousand Days Civil War.
Today, the canal continues to be not only a viable commercial venture, but also a vital link in world shipping.

for MUCH more please see the links below.

Answer 3

France failed in its effort to build the canal. Teddy Roosevelt made a deal with Colombia. We would build the canal and pay Columbia. I don't remember the amount. Columbia got greedy and doubled the price. Rosevelt then backed the revolution that was taking place in Columbia. That is how Panama was born. Panama was part of Columbia. Columbia got nothing and lost part of it's country. Jimmy Carter gave the Panama Canal to Panama. I have heard that the canal is now run by the Chinese but am not sure about that.

Answer 4

In 1850 the USA and super Britain negotiated the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty to reign in opposition over a proposed canal with the aid of the proper American Republic of Nicaragua. The Anglo-American canal, although, in no way went previous the making plans tiers. French tries to construct a canal with the aid of Panama (province of Colombia) stepped forward greater. Led via Ferdinand de Lesseps—the builder of the Suez Canal in Egypt—the French began excavating in 1880. Malaria, yellow fever, and different tropical ailments conspired against the de Lesseps marketing campaign and after 9 years and a loss of roughly 20,000 lives, the French attempt went bankrupt. even with such setbacks, American activity in a canal persisted unabated. The Hay-Pauncefote Treaty of 1901 abrogated the quicker Clayton-Bulwer Treaty and qualified the USA to construct and manage its very own canal. Following heated debate over the area of the proposed canal, on June 19, 1902, the U.S. Senate voted in want of making the canal with the aid of Panama. interior 6 months, Secretary of State John Hay signed a treaty with Colombian foreign places Minister Tomás Herrán to construct the hot canal. The economic words have been unacceptable to Colombia’s congress, and it rejected the furnish. President Roosevelt spoke back via dispatching U.S. warships to Panama city (on the Pacific) and Colón (on the Atlantic) in help of Panamanian independence. Colombian troops have been unable to barter the jungles of the Darien Strait and Panama declared independence on November 3, 1903. The newly declared Republic of Panama at present named Philippe Bunau-Varilla (a French engineer who have been in contact interior the quicker de Lesseps canal attempt) as Envoy stunning and Minister Plenipotentiary. In his new place, Bunau-Varilla negotiated the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty of 1903, which provided the USA with a ten-mile huge strip of land for the canal, a one-time $10 million charge to Panama, and an annual annuity of $250,000. the USA additionally agreed to guarantee the independence of Panama. finished in 1914, the Panama Canal symbolized U.S. technological prowess and economic potential. besides the fact that U.S. administration of the canal ultimately grew to become an irritant to U.S.-Panamanian kin, on the time it replaced into heralded as a considerable foreign places coverage success.

Answer 5

To add to the rest--
When he was in the Army the first time around, US Grant had to lead a group of people across the isthmus. He lost several. He was very affected by it(especially losing almost all of the children) and when he was president, he started looking into a way to ease the crossing.

Answer 6

In a nutshell, it's about a very assertive U.S. President who rips off the people of Colombia, creates a new country obedient to US wishes, and digs an expensive trench in the name of free trade and capitalism.

Answer 7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_canal

Answer 8

The earliest mention of a canal across the isthmus of Central America dates back to 1534, when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Spain, suggested that a canal in Panama would ease the voyage for ships travelling to and from Ecuador and Peru.[5]

Given the strategic situation of Central America as a narrow land dividing two great oceans, other forms of trade links were attempted over the years. The ill-fated Darien scheme was an attempt launched by the Kingdom of Scotland in 1698 to set up an overland trade route, but was defeated by the generally inhospitable conditions, and abandoned in 1700.[6] Finally, the Panama Railway was built across the isthmus, opening in 1855. This overland link greatly facilitated trade, and this vital piece of infrastructure was a key factor in the selection of the later canal route. An all-water route between the oceans was still seen as the ideal solution, and the idea of a canal was revived at various times, and for various routes; a route through Nicaragua was investigated several times. Finally, enthused by the success of the Suez Canal, the French, under Ferdinand de Lesseps, began construction on a sea-level canal (i.e., without locks) through the province of Panama (as it was then) on January 1, 1880. The French began work in a rush with insufficient prior study of the geology and hydrology of the region.[7] Mosquito-born diseases, particularly malaria and yellow fever, sickened and killed vast numbers of employees, ranging from labourers to top directors of the French Company. Public health measures were ineffective because the role of the mosquito was then unknown. These conditions made it impossible to maintain an experienced work force as fearful technical employees quickly returned to France. Even the hospitals contributed to the problem, providing breeding places for mosquitos inside the unscreened wards. Actual conditions were hushed-up in France to avoid recruitment problems.[7] In 1893, after a great deal of work, the French scheme was abandoned due to disease and the sheer difficulty of building a sea-level canal, as well as lack of French field experience, like downpours causing rust to steel equipment.[8] The high toll from disease was one of the major factors in the failure, as many as 22,000 workers are estimated to have died during the main period of French construction (1881–1889).[7]

According to Stephen Kinzer's 2006 book Overthrow, in 1898 the chief of the French Canal Syndicate (a group that owned large swathes of land across Panama), Philippe Bunau Varilla, hired William Nelson Cromwell, of the US law firm Sullivan & Cromwell) to lobby the US Congress to build a canal across Panama, and not across Nicaragua.

In 1902, after having run into a 10-cent Nicaraguan postal stamp produced in the US by the American Bank Note Company erroneously depicting a fuming Momotambo volcano (which was nearly dormant and stands more than 160 km (100 miles) from the proposed Nicaraguan canal path) and taking advantage of a particularly volcanic year in the Caribbean, Cromwell planted a story in the New York Sun reporting that the Momotambo volcano had erupted and caused a series of seismic shocks. He thereafter sent leaflets with the above stamps pasted on them to all U.S. Senators as witness to the volcanic activity in Nicaragua.

On June 19, 1902, three days after senators received the stamps, they voted for the Panama route for the canal. For his lobbying efforts, Cromwell received the sum of $800,000. [9]

The United States, under Theodore Roosevelt, bought out the French equipment and excavations, and began work on May 4, 1904, after helping Panama achieve independence from Colombia. In exchange for U.S. help, Panama would give the United States control of the Panama Canal Zone. A significant investment was made in eliminating disease from the area, particularly yellow fever and malaria, the causes of which had recently been discovered (see Health measures during the construction of the Panama Canal). With the diseases under control, and after significant work on preparing the infrastructure, construction of an elevated canal with locks began in earnest. The Americans also gradually replaced the old French equipment with machinery designed for a larger scale of work, quickening the pace of construction.[7]

In 1907 US President Theodore Roosevelt appointed George Washington Goethals as chief engineer of the Panama Canal. The building of the Canal was completed in 1914, two years ahead of the target date of June 1, 1916. The canal was formally opened on August 15, 1914 with the transit of the cargo ship Ancon.[10] Coincidentally, this was also the same month that fighting in World War I began in Europe.

The advances in hygiene resulted in a relatively low death toll during the American construction; still, 5,609 workers died during this period (1904–1914).[11] This brought the total death toll for the construction of the canal to around 27,500.

By the 1930s it was seen that water supply would be an issue for the canal; this prompted the building of the Madden Dam across the Chagres River above Gatun Lake. The dam, completed in 1935, created Alajuela Lake, which acts as additional water storage for the canal.[12][13] In 1939, construction began on a further major improvement: a new set of locks for the canal, large enough to carry the larger warships which the U.S. had under construction, or planned for future construction. The work proceeded for several years, and significant excavation was carried out on the new approach channels; but the project was canceled after World War II. After the war, United States' control of the canal and the Canal Zone surrounding it became contentious as relations between Panama and the U.S. became increasingly tense. Many Panamanians felt that the canal zone rightfully belonged to Panama; student protests were met by the fencing in of the zone and an increased military presence.[16] Negotiations toward a new settlement began in 1974, and resulted in the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. Signed by President of the United States Jimmy Carter and Omar Torrijos of Panama on September 7, 1977, this set in motion the process of handing the canal over to Panamanian control for free as long as Panama signed a treaty guaranteeing the permanent neutrality of the Canal (Neutrality Treaty) and allowed the U.S. to come back anytime. Though controversial within the U.S., the treaty led to full Panamanian control effective at noon on December 31, 1999, and control of the canal was handed over to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP).

Before this handover, the government of Panama held an international bid to negotiate a 25-year contract for operation of the Canal's container shipping ports (chiefly two facilities at the Atlantic and Pacific outlets), which was won by the Chinese firm Hutchison Whampoa, a Hong Kong-based shipping concern whose owner Li Ka Shing is the wealthiest man in China.

More Info at www.wikipedia.com

Answer 9

Even though I hate it when people just copy and paste from a website, I did it this time because it is a long story and this is very accurate.. Anyway here it is:

The earliest mention of a canal across the isthmus of Central America dates back to 1534, when Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Spain, suggested that a canal in Panama would ease the voyage for ships travelling to and from Ecuador and Peru.[5]
Given the strategic situation of Central America as a narrow land dividing two great oceans, other forms of trade links were attempted over the years. The ill-fated Darien scheme was an attempt launched by the Kingdom of Scotland in 1698 to set up an overland trade route, but was defeated by the generally inhospitable conditions, and abandoned in 1700.[6] Finally, the Panama Railway was built across the isthmus, opening in 1855. This overland link greatly facilitated trade, and this vital piece of infrastructure was a key factor in the selection of the later canal route.


Construction work on the Gaillard Cut is shown in this photograph from 1907
An all-water route between the oceans was still seen as the ideal solution, and the idea of a canal was revived at various times, and for various routes; a route through Nicaragua was investigated several times. Finally, enthused by the success of the Suez Canal, the French, under Ferdinand de Lesseps, began construction on a sea-level canal (i.e., without locks) through the province of Panama (as it was then) on January 1, 1880. The French began work in a rush with insufficient prior study of the geology and hydrology of the region.[7] Mosquito-born diseases, particularly malaria and yellow fever, sickened and killed vast numbers of employees, ranging from labourers to top directors of the French Company. Public health measures were ineffective because the role of the mosquito was then unknown. These conditions made it impossible to maintain an experienced work force as fearful technical employees quickly returned to France. Even the hospitals contributed to the problem, providing breeding places for mosquitos inside the unscreened wards. Actual conditions were hushed-up in France to avoid recruitment problems.[7] In 1893, after a great deal of work, the French scheme was abandoned due to disease and the sheer difficulty of building a sea-level canal, as well as lack of French field experience, like downpours causing rust to steel equipment.[8] The high toll from disease was one of the major factors in the failure, as many as 22,000 workers are estimated to have died during the main period of French construction (1881–1889).[7]
According to Stephen Kinzer's 2006 book Overthrow, in 1898 the chief of the French Canal Syndicate (a group that owned large swathes of land across Panama), Philippe Bunau Varilla, hired William Nelson Cromwell, of the US law firm Sullivan & Cromwell) to lobby the US Congress to build a canal across Panama, and not across Nicaragua.
In 1902, after having run into a 10-cent Nicaraguan postal stamp produced in the US by the American Bank Note Company erroneously depicting a fuming Momotambo volcano (which was nearly dormant and stands more than 160 km (100 miles) from the proposed Nicaraguan canal path) and taking advantage of a particularly volcanic year in the Caribbean, Cromwell planted a story in the New York Sun reporting that the Momotambo volcano had erupted and caused a series of seismic shocks. He thereafter sent leaflets with the above stamps pasted on them to all U.S. Senators as witness to the volcanic activity in Nicaragua.
On June 19, 1902, three days after senators received the stamps, they voted for the Panama route for the canal. For his lobbying efforts, Cromwell received the sum of $800,000. [9]

The United States, under Theodore Roosevelt, bought out the French equipment and excavations, and began work on May 4, 1904, after helping Panama achieve independence from Colombia. In exchange for U.S. help, Panama would give the United States control of the Panama Canal Zone. A significant investment was made in eliminating disease from the area, particularly yellow fever and malaria, the causes of which had recently been discovered (see Health measures during the construction of the Panama Canal). With the diseases under control, and after significant work on preparing the infrastructure, construction of an elevated canal with locks began in earnest. The Americans also gradually replaced the old French equipment with machinery designed for a larger scale of work, quickening the pace of construction.[7]
In 1907 US President Theodore Roosevelt appointed George Washington Goethals as chief engineer of the Panama Canal. The building of the Canal was completed in 1914, two years ahead of the target date of June 1, 1916. The canal was formally opened on August 15, 1914 with the transit of the cargo ship Ancon.[10] Coincidentally, this was also the same month that fighting in World War I began in Europe.
The advances in hygiene resulted in a relatively low death toll during the American construction; still, 5,609 workers died during this period (1904–1914).[11] This brought the total death toll for the construction of the canal to around 27,500.
By the 1930s it was seen that water supply would be an issue for the canal; this prompted the building of the Madden Dam across the Chagres River above Gatun Lake. The dam, completed in 1935, created Alajuela Lake, which acts as additional water storage for the canal.[12][13] In 1939, construction began on a further major improvement: a new set of locks for the canal, large enough to carry the larger warships which the U.S. had under construction, or planned for future construction. The work proceeded for several years, and significant excavation was carried out on the new approach channels; but the project was canceled after World War II.[14][15]


USS Missouri passes through the canal
After the war, United States' control of the canal and the Canal Zone surrounding it became contentious as relations between Panama and the U.S. became increasingly tense. Many Panamanians felt that the canal zone rightfully belonged to Panama; student protests were met by the fencing in of the zone and an increased military presence.[16] Negotiations toward a new settlement began in 1974, and resulted in the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. Signed by President of the United States Jimmy Carter and Omar Torrijos of Panama on September 7, 1977, this set in motion the process of handing the canal over to Panamanian control for free as long as Panama signed a treaty guaranteeing the permanent neutrality of the Canal (Neutrality Treaty) and allowed the U.S. to come back anytime. Though controversial within the U.S., the treaty led to full Panamanian control effective at noon on December 31, 1999, and control of the canal was handed over to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP).
Before this handover, the government of Panama held an international bid to negotiate a 25-year contract for operation of the Canal's container shipping ports (chiefly two facilities at the Atlantic and Pacific outlets), which was won by the Chinese firm Hutchison Whampoa, a Hong Kong-based shipping concern whose owner Li Ka Shing is the wealthiest man in China.

(It's from wikipedia but as I said, it is accurate...)

good luck!