Positive and Negative Contributing to Words: Length: 5 Pages Document Type: Essay Paper : The Panama Canal Essay Example Essay on The Panama Canal: The Panama Canal is an international waterway that stretches up to 50 miles connecting two large water bodies namely the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. troops and over aircraft - including AH helicopter gunships, AC aircraft and FA stealth aircraft, which was used for the first time in combat. Gladstone, Mark and Marimow, Ann E. Pssst… we can panama canal essay an original essay just for you. Chicago: Heinemann Library, panama canal essay,
The Panama Canal Essay
Any subject. Any type of essay. Before the Panama Canal was built, and before the country of Panama had its independence from Colombia, there was much debate on where the canal should be placed. A majority of scholars and intellectuals agreed that Nicaragua was the most ideal location because the country negated the need for locks, which would certainly be needed further south in Panama. However, panama canal essay, some of the most prominent American figures of the time such as: J. P Morgan and United States President Teddy Roosevelt disagreed. Simply because they had fraud on their minds. Both parties stood to profit greatly because of J.
P Morgan owned numerous shares in the De Lesseps Company whom had the building rights to the Canal in Panama. In order to fulfill his own desires J. P Morgan began a smear campaign against Nicaragua claiming that it was too dangerous to build there because of their natural hazards such as Volcanos, panama canal essay. The Colombian government refused to grant the construction rights of the canal to a United States owned company. This refusal led J. The plan was enacted and was successful, panama canal essay. In the eyes of historians, this act is the greatest example of Gun Boat Policy. Within this paper I will discuss the libel cases that Teddy Roosevelt instigated against Joseph Pulitzer over their writings about Roosevelt, Morgan and the Fraud which was the Panama Canal.
Joseph Pulitzer, panama canal essay, a writer for the New York World, became one of the centerpieces of the libel lawsuits after the presidential election of Pierce Roosevelt was so concerned with trying to save his own skin that he managed to push the case all the way up to the Supreme Court. Before Roosevelt was able to push the case all the way up to the Supreme Court, Roosevelt showed his true character panama canal essay a letter he wrote to the United States Attorney for New York. Would you have his various utterances looked up? As I read this quote, I entirely changed my opinion about Teddy Roosevelt.
It showed me that even though panama canal essay had absolutely no idea how libel worked, he was willing to abusive his status in America to bring unjust charges against an innocent man, panama canal essay. To prove even further that Teddy Roosevelt is a crook who was only in it for the money the very next day he gave a panama canal essay to the Lakes to the Gulf Waterway Association. Within this statement he said that he was extremely happy of his own accomplishments in Panama especially because they were panama canal essay any reproach and that libel action was possible against those claiming fraud. This further proved that Roosevelt was more than willing to take any unjust legal action against those who dissented against what he and his associates were doing in Panama.
As long as Roosevelts pockets were being filled with cash, he was more than willing to take fraudulent legal action against those who were going to lessen his income. Further, he displayed his ludicrous sense of self-righteousness by even believing that he and his associates were not doing anything wrong by overthrowing panama canal essay Colombian control of Panama to increase profits for himself and J. P Morgan. In order to save his skin, Roosevelt preemptively convicted Pulitzer and his associates by stating that there needs to be no investigation into the matter because the statements that were made were wholly and in form libel against the United States.
In this scenario, the president of the United States entirely ignored due process and made the statement that these men were guilty of libel and nobody needs to look into it and just believe panama canal essay. He is completely abusing his power of authority to persuade the public that these men are guilty just because he said so. Pulitzer was just covering the truth that the Panama Canal was marred in fraud, while Roosevelt was trying to hid his wrong doings so he threw Pulitzer under the bus. Although Pulitzer was fearing arrest, he still published articles denouncing the claims that were made by the president.
The major point I feel that needs to be made here is that Teddy Roosevelt went completely against the first amendment. As pointed out in panama canal essay paper, Roosevelt was attempting to limit the freedom of the press based on the false notion that the government has been libeled, but, most importantly Roosevelt was the government at the time. This story does have some good within it however. When Roosevelt managed to push the case up to the supreme court the court decided that the indictment has no legal basis whatsoever, panama canal essay. These statements are of course ironic because Roosevelt himself is a crook.
With all of this said I now begin to question the actions of a panama canal essay of the United States Presidents and Corporations. Before reading this article, I was under the impression that Roosevelt was a generally good man and that the Panama Canal was a project that was free of scandal and fraud. This paper covered the extent to which Roosevelt was willing to go to slander the good reputation of a few men and more importantly how far he would panama canal essay to suppress the freedom of the press. Now I find it hard to believe that many United States citizens adore this man and what he did during his presidency. Personally, I find it difficult to idolize a man who harbored such bitterness because he was being exposed for his wrong doings.
He was still able to accrue his wealth and live comfortably and eventually had an Award named after him: The Pulitzer Prize. In essence he was responsible for the most prominent use of gunboat diplomacy. These actions obviously still happen in the modern day, and as an average citizen, we can only ponder how the levels of corruption and fraud will decrease. I suppose all we can do is to point out the fraud where we see it and have our fingers crossed that the United States justice system will do its job, panama canal essay. Remember: This is just a sample from a fellow student. Starting from 3 hours delivery. Sorry, copying is not allowed on our website. We will occasionally send you account related emails. This essay is not unique. Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay.
Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper. Want us to write one just for you? We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. This essay has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of panama canal essay work written by professional essay writers. Get help with writing. Pssst… we can write an original essay just for you. Your time is important, panama canal essay. Get essay help. Related Essays History Of Panama Canal And Its Importance To America Essay. A Dreadful Error: Panama Canal Essay.
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The Panama Canal In , Theodore Roosevelt had a dream of a dominant America in both major oceans, connected by an American canal. With his inspiration, construction began on what has been called the largest project of any kind ever undertaken. Now that it is complete, the Panama Canal makes the world a much smaller place for ocean-going vessels of all sizes. Ideas for a canal across Panama have been in the works ever since the time the isthmus was discovered. In , Vasco Nuñez de Balboa crossed the mile wide land bridge and claimed the water on the other side in the name of Spain.
Thousands of laborers worked on it for about 10 years, using steam shovels and dredgesIs it really worth building a canal in Nicaragua? With news of Nicaragua adopting the idea of a dry canal the first question that should come to mind is, is it really worth building a canal in Nicaragua? Many people look at Panama with its enviable economy and say that Nicaragua needs a canal but thThe canal is joining the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. H realized he could make quite a profit from the canal. The United States found it imperative that they had control over a canal in Latin America, but did not know whether to build one in Nicaragua or Panama. Later, in , a French company under Ferdinand de Lesseps, who was an ambitious man who built the Suez Canal, was grant middle of paper more of an imperialistic nation, which was Roosevelt?
s goal all along. In , the United States signed a treaty with Panama stating that the U. would end its control beginning in the year , 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. 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.
The first between and , was carried out by the French company headed by De Lessop. Second, was the work by the Americans who eventually completed the canals construction between and Cameron 79 The contract for the canals construction was signed on March 12, , and it was agreed the work would be carried out for million French francs. Midway through the building of the canal, in , the French company started to run into financial difficulties and even applied to the French government to issue lottery bonds.
Rumors of these difficulties caused increased interest within the American government. This led him as president to use executive power like none of his predecessors had, to protect nearly million acres of land, including national forests, the first 55 federal wildlife refuges, 5 national parks, and the first 18 national monument sites. They obtained permission from Columbia to lay the waterway. Dolan 53 A private company was founded in to raise the needed capital to undertake the construction. Appointed president of the company was Ferdind de Lesseps, who had guided the construction of the Suez Canal. Among the great peaceful endeavors of mankind that have contributed significantly to progress in the world, the construction of the Canal stands as an awe-inspiring achievement.
The idea of a path between North and South America is older than their names. He used his standing to vault to the governorship of the State of New York. As Governor he now headed the wealthiest most populous state in the nation, enjoying a position of influence and power unparalleled in his career. New York was the great melting pot, the entry point for the vast waves of immigrants that were arriving from Europe. Immigration in this era…. Bibliography Brantlinger, Patrick. Burton, David H. The Learned Presidency: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson. Rutherford, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, Theodore Roosevelt, American Politician: An Assessment.
Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, Collins, Michael L. That Damned Cowboy: Theodore Roosevelt and the American West, New York: Peter Lang, Partisan differences of support and disapproval of our two most recent presidents are quite clear, with the personal popularity of President Bush among Democrats lower than was President Clinton's among Republicans while his impeachment proceedings were under way. The ongoing Iraqi war is especially indicative, with diametrically opposite opinions on whether the conflict is going well or has improved national security. In a purely logical sense it would seem that Jimmy Carter's presidency would have been anything but a galvanizing force for America's right-wind Christian conservatives.
Ironically, though, that was not the case. For example, Joy Porter examines the ironically ground-breaking, unintended political effects of Jimmy Carter's Presidency, i. As Porter argues, during Carter's and campaigns especially, Carter's faith-based but also distinctly liberal…. A favorite target for conspiracists today as well as in the past, a group of European intellectuals created the Order of the Illuminati in May , in Bavaria, Germany, under the leadership of Adam Weishaupt Atkins, In this regard, Stewart reports that, "The 'great' conspiracy organized in the last half of the eighteenth century through the efforts of a number of secret societies that were striving for a 'new order' of civilization to be governed by a small group of 'all-powerful rulers.
According to Atkins, it was Weishaupt's fundamental and overriding goal to form a secret organization of elite members of Europe's leading citizens who could then strive to achieve the Enlightenment version of revolutionary social…. References American Psychological Association. Publication manual of the American Psychological Association 5th ed. Washington, DC: Author. Anderson, J. The charges of a Free-Mason extracted from the ancient records of lodges beyond the sea, and of those in England, Scotland, and Ireland, for the use of the lodges in London: To be read at the making of new brethren, or when the master shall order it.
Reprinted in The Radical Enlightenment: Pantheists, Freemasons, and Republicans, by M. Jacob, Yet, Theodore oosevelt also found within the American nationalism a powerful civic culture that made the United States of America as a country that welcomed all kinds of people irrespective of where they came from, their racial identity and religious leanings as long as they were prepared to devote themselves to the country and observe the laws of the land. Theodore oosevelt also loved the idea that the United States of America was a melting pot in which a hybrid race of different strains could be created.
Theodore oosevelt believed that such a mixing had created and would sustain the racial superiority of the American race. This belief of his was demonstrated by his personal delight in moving across social boundaries and meeting people of diverse groups. Theodore oosevelt and the Divided Character of American Nationalism Thus we see that after President Lincoln for nearly thirty five years the leaders…. References Gerstle, Gary. Theodore Roosevelt and the Divided Character of American Nationalism. The Journal of American History. Accessed on February 27, Leonard, Erin Ruth. Theodore Roosevelt's Broad Powers: From Revolution to Reconstruction. Accessed on February 27, President of the United States.
html p56Accessed on February 27, Roosevelt, Theodore. The American President. Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Accessed on February 27, In this sense, his parent's influence was obvious. Since his early childhood he would listen to stories from the war period without any practical consideration of the actual facts those stories conveyed. However, his parents would later choose for him by guiding him towards the military education. In this sense, "in the early years of his life, Johnny's parents made one decision about which they would be unwavering: When Johnny grew up, he would follow the family model and attend the Naval Academy and would then enter the navy the first demonstrative move Jack and Roberta made toward realizing their goal came in September ; they enrolled Johnny, then 10 years old, in St.
Stephen's School in Alexandria, Virginia" as part of a higher type of academic preparation that would make him eligible for the Navy Academy later on. In the current society, the one in which the idea…. Bibliography Alexander, Paul. Man of the People: The Life of John McCain. Wiley: Hoboken, Feinberg, Barbara Jane John McCain: Serving his country. New York: Lerner Publishing Group, Kaczor, Bill. McCain Divorce Settlement Outlined. htm Kissinger, Henry, Diplomacy. He was one of the youngest presidents in history the same age as JFK when he took office, forty-three. He also was an avid outdoorsman and appreciative of the American West he had a ranch in North Dakota , and his far-seeing vision created one of America's most enduring traditions, the U.
Forest Service and protected wild lands. oosevelt's accomplishments may not have been as well-known as some of the other presidents, but they were certainly far reaching. First, he was the first president to establish an area in the White House specifically for journalists oller, , p. He was an extremely popular president, and he was the first to travel outside the country, to the Panama Canal, during a presidency. He also helped create the Panama Canal Project, one of the most important building projects of the time, and still a vital link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. References Boller, P. Presidential anecdotes Revised ed. New York: Oxford U. Bursey, L. In Popular images of American presidents, Spragens, W. New York: Greenwood Press.
Cronin, T. The paradoxes of the American presidency. New York: Oxford University Press. Hart, John. The presidential branch: From Washington to Clinton 2nd ed. Chatham, NJ: Chatham House Publishers. military, as exemplified in the two 2 real-Life international incidents that you have researched. Justify your response. America is more than just the leading superpower in the world; it is also widely regarded as the 'world's policeman' on account of its numerous interventions in solving global problems. Every now and again, it has been expected to mediate and negotiate when problems arise in any corner of the globe.
When the U. is hesitant or doesn't act in accordance with general expectations, a cloud of helplessness engulfs the world. Two global scenarios wherein the U. resorted to a surprising course of action, while concurrently attempting to steer clear of usual military tactics are the ongoing civil war in Syria and the Libyan Civil War. Other countries' reaction in case of the latter event and the continuance of USA's position in the NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization merely validate that it…. References Barna II. Military Intervention for Humanitarian Purposes: Exception to Policy or an Emerging Norm? pdf Blanchard, C. D Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U. pdf Gulf War. pdf Lindstrom, M. Setting the Stage for the Military Intervention in Libya: Decisions Made and Their Implications for the EU and NATO.
Retrieved from www. America is not merely a superpower -- the nation is also commonly known as the 'Policeman of the World', owing to its many interventions in resolving global issues. Time and again, the world has expected USA to intercede and play the role of mediator when issues crop up around the world. The world feels helpless when the nation hesitates or does not keep up to people's expectation while intervening. Two international incidents in which America opted for an unexpected course while simultaneously striving to keep from regular military action are the Libyan evolution and Syrian Civil War. Other nations' reaction in the former case and the retention of America's position in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO serve to confirm the fact that USA is, indeed, the 'policeman' of the world.
Part 2…. interests in that part of the world. Then, on January 17, , the U. launched the first attack, with more than 4, bombing runs. After hours, Bush called off the offensive, saying he wanted to minimize U. Though Bush was criticized for this withdrawal being premature, the U. made a retreat from Kuwait after the successful offensive, and Bush's approval ratings reached new highs. Bush announced in early , that he would run again for President, and his reelection looked probable. However, higher taxes and uncontrolled economic problems brought his term to an end in , and Bush lost to Bill Clinton. Bush was running as a conservative, but so were oss Perot and Pat Buchanan who ran against him for the epublican nomination. In order to defeat Pat Buchanan's bid for the epublican nomination, Bush declared even more conservative stances.
Though he defeated Pat Buchanan, oss…. References Farnsworth, S. And Lichter, S. Bush, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol. Frye, T. Changes in Post-Communist Presidential Power: Political Economy Explanation. A paper prepared for Ohio State University. pdf Kelley, C. The Last Mover Advantage: Presidential Powers and the Role of Signing Statements, Chicago, IL. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Illinois. Mann, J. The ghost of the oval office, New York Times, October 4, His political beliefs and attitudes, both progressive and conservative, influenced and shaped many domestic and international events which took place in the early 's and into the opening years of the twentieth century.
Domestically, the country was burdened by a financial panic in the 's which complicated the lives of the urban poor and made the wealthy even more prosperous. In the cities, people demanded democratic change in many areas, such as the twelve hour work day, the dangerous conditions in American factories, the exploitation of immigrant laborers, corporate resistance…. Accessed February 6, Ayers Website. Accessed February 5, heodore Roosevelt Elected as President of the United States in and , heodore Roosevelt, while being one of the most ambiguous political figures in American history, was also extremely influential, both culturally and socially, and reflected the times in which he lived as no other President.
His political beliefs and attitudes, both progressive and conservative, shaped many domestic and international events which took place in the early 's and into the opening years of the twentieth century. Domestically, America was burdened by a financial panic in the 's which upset the lives of the urban poor and made the wealthy even more prosperous. In the cities, people demanded democratic…. TR: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt. TR's Legacy -- The Environment. Accessed February 28, Morris, Edmund. Theodore Rex. New York: Random House, Theodore Roosevelt's Influence. com -- Great Books Online. Roosevelt became a boxer, he lifted weights and climbed mountains he ascended the Matterhorn at the age of His famous charge up Kettle Hill Battle of San Juan Heights, Rough Riders during the Spanish-American ar set him apart as an athletically gifted soldier with courage and heart.
And along with his workouts and activism, he "began to collect animal specimens, including fireflies and squirrels"; he filled notebooks with "drawings and life histories of animals and insects"; he read Darwin and Huxley; and, Dalton continues, he loved camping and became an "experienced outdoorsman. In the spring of , the president went est "to dramatize his commitment to…. Works Cited Benedetto, Richard. No rest for the president. USA Today, 3 August Cavendish, Richard. Assassination of President McKinley. History Today 51 September. Dalton, Kathleen. The Self-Made Man: He was a sickly child. But through sheer will, Muscular effort - and a lot of time in the great outdoors - he became a powerful, passionate. Installing Handrails at Victoria BC Ogden Point Breakwater: Zapco elding and Fabricating, a Victoria Company, has been awarded the contract to construct an aluminum and stainless steel cable handrail at the Ogden Point breakwater.
The firm was awarded this contract because of the good price, capacity, and past working relations with the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. hile it's a non-profit organization, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority owns the property and invited 10 firms to present proposals for handrails based on its design, cost, and timeline specifications. Zapco elding and Fabricating has constructed handrails in the past at Fisherman's harf and in the Inner Harbour Petrescu par, 4. The main reason for the construction of the aluminum and stainless steel cable handrail at Ogden Point breakwater is because it will lessen the installation time and the duration the breakwater is closed. Despite of these goals, the project has attracted split opinions….
Works Cited: Holmen, Roszan. Victoria News. BlackPress Digital, 18 Dec. MacFarlane, John M. The Nauticapedia Project, Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, 12 Dec. Petrescu, Sarah. TC Publication Limited Partnership, 15 Jan. This company has an extensive network that extends into Mexico and beyond to the Panama Canal. This acquisition would therefore give CNR control over rail trade in much of North America. Trade with Latin America is growing, and NAFTA has meant in influx of trade with Mexico. A rail corridor between Mexico and Canada would allow for an increase in trade between the two nations. The current southern extent of CNR's track network runs into central llinois and both meet in St. There may be only minimal work needed to link the two networks.
Kansas City Southern is affordable for CNR. Thus, an equity-based purchase can be made. Although CNR does not have an unusual amount of debt for a railroad,…. It is recommended that CNR attempt to merge with or otherwise acquire Kansas City Southern Railway Co. The current southern extent of CNR's track network runs into central Illinois and both meet in St. Although CNR does not have an unusual amount of debt for a railroad, it may wish to mix a heavy portion of equity into the purchase price. For its part, KSU is relatively healthy financially, although it is facing declining earnings and income. CNR should stay in the freight railway business when it looks for a merger or acquisition.
Although there are a number of small railways it could add to its portfolio, it is recommended that the company seek a railway that would allow it to expand its presence in North American trade significantly. KSU allows that, linking Canada with Mexico, and expanding the carriers networks into Texas as well. There are existing links or near links in both the St. Louis area and in Louisiana between the two company's existing networks, which makes the purchase logistically feasible. The market cap of KSU is within the range that CNR can afford with a stock purchase as well. All of these considerations taken into account lead to the conclusion that Kansas City Southern is an ideal purchase for Canadian National Railways.
Therefore, Trains are best for freight traveling long distances where loading and unloading efficiency and times are less of a concern. For shorter distances, rail travel is less efficient unless it is incorporated into the transportation network that serves passengers in gridlocked parts of town. In these instances, people can efficiently use light rail as a form of mass transit, and this mode of transport makes sense. Each mode of transport has its pros and cons, and there is often much overlap between these pros and cons for each mode.
The situation in New Jersey calls for a very definitive answer in transport management, and for a high level of understanding relative to cargo and passenger demands and the supply of transport vehicles. This is a written paper APA style Provide a two-page response for each of the following questions. Defend your answers with the appropriate citations. Note: You may…. References Rodrigue, Jean-Paull; Comtois, Claude; and Brian Slack. The Geography of Transport Systems, Second Edition. New York: Routledge. World Port Source. Accessed via internet on August 11, The Big Dig continues to be a source of safety concern, particularly regarding the structural integrity of the concrete ceiling panels. Undoubtedly, this issue has some Bostonians looking up as they drive through the tunnels.
However, the ceiling collapse also brought attention to the problem. Although not much was reported about future actions, this would have reasonably triggered an inspection of other parts of the tunnel. Officials are confident about the integrity of the rest of the tunnel and one can rest assured that they do not wish to have any further "incidents" regarding the tunnel. The construction industry is filled with unknown factors that cannot possibly be foreseen, even with the best planning. The Big Dig was relatively low incident, compared to other construction projects.
No one will argue that even one incident is one incident too many, but things happen on other construction projects too. Cost overruns are…. References Cohen, S. Editorial: Worst Practices from Boston's Big Dig Officials. August 1, Compliance Week. Economic Development Research Group. February Accessed November 28, Gelinas, N. Lessons of Bostons' Big Dig. City Journal. Autumn html Accessed November 28, Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Project Background. Big Dig. However, the city was not exactly celebrating. The ig Dig project was not completed without controversy.
It resulted in criminal arrests, as well as charges for escalating costs, leaks, poor execution and use of substandard materials Wikipedia, Over complaints were filed by the state of Massachusetts as a result of leaks, cost overruns, quality concerns, and safety violations. In July , a ig Dig I tunnel a large plate of concrete from the tunnel ceiling fell on a car, with one death, a woman crushed to death. A major investigation resulted, and closure of part of the ig Dig for a while. Despite these controversial issues, the project was hailed as an engineering marvel, especially due to the challenge of building among subway tunnels and steam pipes while the city…. Bibliography Big Dig's red ink engulfs state, Boston Globe, July 17, Curtin, Daniel. Witter, Jonathan. Windfalls, Wipeouts, Givings, and Takings in Dramatic Redevelopment Projects.
Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review. Economic Development Research Group for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. Schmidt, Hans. Occupation of Haiti: New Brunswick: Rutgers niversity Press, Hans Schmidt's The. Occupation of Haiti was originally published in , after the folly of American intervention in Vietnam had become all too stark and clearly apparent to the. Schmidt wrote his book to tell a sordid tale of another, earlier example of a misguided. intervention in a foreign land. After the people of Haiti had rioted in protest of the actions of their current leader, America entered the independent nation and occupied it, resulting in the death of almost two thousand Haitians in five short years The calculated, self-serving invasion was not undertaken because of humanitarian reasons, for the Haitian politician unrest was solely internal -- there had been seven presidents in rapid succession, and President Guillaume Sam had executed political prisoners, to the anger of many Haitians University Press, Hans Schmidt's The U.
Occupation of Haiti was originally published in , after the folly of American intervention in Vietnam had become all too stark and clearly apparent to the U. Schmidt wrote his book to tell a sordid tale of another, earlier example of a misguided U. But the American invasion was motivated by America's determination to protect its interests in the Caribbean, especially after its construction of the Panama Canal, along with its fears of the growing French and German presence in the region. Schmidt's book was also written shortly after the victories of the recent American Civil Rights movement. He noted that Americans, rather than liberating the Haitians, instituted Jim Crow racial segregation in the African nation, supposedly because of linguistic and social differences, but really because of fears of Haitians 'mixing' with American white women The racial hostility was especially notable on the part of the U.
military, which was mostly made up of Southerners. The United States of America successfully conducted the construction of the canal between and as a result of gold discovered in California in The construction of the canal was important to reduce time and distance traveled between Pacific and the Atlantic. The initial inhabitants of the canal were Indians and U. S citizens. The French had first undertaken a project to create the Suez Canal; a project that was successfully completed without much struggle. This motivated the French to rush into starting the construction of the Panama Canal. This canal was not as easy as Suez Canal because the French did not have appropriate procedures and equipments. Hence, France wasted millions of dollars, and still failed due to factors beyond their control.
Before the Canal was built, ships used to travel double the distance through Cape Horn. This was the largest engineering project to be undertaken and successfully completed despite the failure by the French. In present day, the canal plays the role of a commercial venture as well as a link in world shipping DuTemple Ever since its completion, the canal has seen an increase in ship traffic from 1, ships in to 14, in , and approximately , ships have traveled the canal. Civil engineers of the American society have termed it as one of the wonders of the present world.
Although the Panama holds an economic advantage, it has a major disadvantage; large ships such as military battleships, large oil tankers and aircraft carriers cannot pass through the Canal due to its limited size. Fortunately, a 5. The French failure to construct the canal was based on several challenges. The French had a faulty project that did not take care of basic issues such as the rivers that flooded the canal that would turn constructions difficult. In this project, the French engineers overestimated the time taken to complete as eight years as opposed to ten years for Suez Canal. At the end of the ten years, completion was not in sight, and in fact, abandonment was the decision being considered.
Accidents and infirmities exemplified by malaria, as well as yellow fever, claimed approximately 20, lives of canal builders. The diseases were rampant because the canal runs through the Panamanian jungle that is infested with dangerous insects like mosquitoes DuTemple The role that the mosquitoes played in transmitting malaria was not known by then hence high death rate recorded. This was the most serious challenge that made the French quit the project. The mosquito elimination project included identifying and separating patients suffering from different diseases. Burning of sulphur and pyrethrum proved to be effective in eradicating mosquitoes.
In addition, the French did not have the right equipment for the heavy-duty job, as the area is volcanic in nature having been constituted of rocky surfaces. The attempt by the French started in the year with 20, men at work and ended in In , France hired another company to undertake the project but still failed although the second company had good strategies that assisted the U. S in completing the task. Consequently, the French endeavors went bankrupt as a result of loss of experienced people; thus, abandoning the project immediately after nine years of work. Other contributors of failure include mismanagement of funds and political fraud. Surprisingly, the work completed assisted Americans in completing the task despite the fact that America had an upper hand due to the advancement of technology Haskin 4.
The construction of the canal was negatively influenced by insufficient skills in engineering, organization and sanitation problems. The Victorious Conclusion of the project was due to engineering skills of men like John F. Stephens and health solutions by William C. However, people with such knowledge were few; this slowed the procedures down as few men had knowledge of administration. Other engineering challenges encountered included the amount of digging required, constructing the biggest gates of the time and creating the biggest dam of the time DuTemple The French design of the Canal had shortcomings like failure to address flooding from river Chagres that restrained construction process.
On the other hand, U. S engineers had studied these challenges and came up with a design that overcame most difficulties.
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