Panama Canal Research Paper

From as early as 1534, during the days of King Charles V of Spain, man has explored the world in search of better ways to ship their goods, protect their countries and expand their horizons (“Central”). Competition among countries to find the shortest, fastest and best route to accomplish this is motivated by many political reasons, along with having control over the method being the highest. Creating a shorter route to have access to deliver goods to others in countries without, was and is still key to maintaining the economies of many countries back in the 1500s as it is today. Making sure that the environment was not spared to help in the forward progress of countries shipping their goods was and is still a top priority. By building the …show more content…
After major problems excavating the canal and dealing with malaria that caused thousands of deaths, the company suffered a financial set-back and was forced to liquidate in 1889. A second French company took over building the canal in 1894, but was also unable to finish building it. In 1902, the U.S. agreed to purchase the canal from the French, but it was not until 1904, after the U.S. had paid and signed an agreement with the Panamanians, that the U.S. officially started building the canal. It took 10 years and over $375 million to complete it before it opened in 1914. The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is the narrowest landmass between these two oceans and is approximately 50 miles long and runs through the country of Panama (“Central”). It is made up of three locks and dams that raise ships up, one by one, 85 feet above sea level to allow them to get from one ocean to the other in approximately 8 to 10 hours …show more content…
Building and owning the Panama Canal set the stage for the U.S. to become the most powerful nation on earth. It would allow the U.S. to have control of both oceans and would be a huge benefit during times of war, as most wars were fought through the seas (“Wagtendonk”). Being able to move U.S. war ships to either ocean in a short amount of time, helped deter Japan on the Atlantic side and Germany on the Pacific side from attacking and trying to take over other countries (“Military). The presence of U.S. war ships also kept the French in check, along with helping the Panamanians to declare their independence from Colombia, who were eager to invade Panama and take over control of the Panama Canal. Having a signed Panama Canal Treaty and the Neutrality Treaty by the U.S. and Panama, allowed for a smooth transfer of the Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999, along with allowing ships from all countries access to use the Canal during times of war to keep everyone on an even playing field (“Central”). Building the Panama Canal helped keep the global political systems in check and allowed for global economies to

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