Panama Canal
In 1914, the Panama Canal was finished, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans together. It was thought of and started by the 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt. The reason for building the Panama Canal was because they needed a better trade route for modern commerce. The strategic location of the Panama Canal and the short distance beteween the oceans have promted many attemps over the centuries to forge a trading route between the two oceans.
The contruction for the Panama Canal started on January 1st, 1882. A honkin labor force was assembled, that included over 20,000 men. A small portion of these men were afro-Caribean workers from the West Indies. The death toll from disease made it hard for the workers to work. After a short service of working, they either left, or they died. The Canal Zone originally had very minimal facilities for entertainment and relaxation for the canal workers, except the saloons; as a result, the men drank heavily largely because there was nothing else to do, and drunkenness was a great problem. The generally unfriendly conditions resulted in many American workers returning home each year.
I think that the Panama Canal was a very good idea! Even though many died from building it, it still had a huge impact on the United States.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/panama-canal-history.htmhttp://www.panamacanaltransits.com/panama.html
Comments
Good but brief overall.