How the canal was built. Elementary history students

1. Digging the
Panama Canal
1904-1914
Digging the Panama Canal

2. With the defeat of Spain in the Spanish-American
War, the U.S. was thinking nothing was impossible
the country. In short, we were beginning to feel a
little ‘cocky’.

3. After his big success in the Spanish-American War, our
new President in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt had plenty of
confidence that the U.S. could be a major world power.

4. Roosevelt knew that now that the U.S. had territories to protect around the
world that it would be easier to do if U.S. ships could travel faster from the
Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. It would also mean businesses on each
side of the U.S. could ship large items to the other faster than ever before!
However, land blocked the path between oceans.

5. One country though was only 51 miles wide at it’s most
narrow point-the small country of Panama. The U.S.
president began to form a plan to get Panama to agree to
let the U.S. dig a big canal through their isthumus country.

6. Panama agreed that we would pay them a lot of money and the digging
began. This is the first ‘cut’ into the earth by the U.S. into the country
of Panama. Notice all the railroad tracks and cars. What were they
for?

7. Building the Panama Canal was a HUGE project. Dams
had to be built on both sides to control the flow of water
allowed into the canal from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

8. This huge dam would hold back the
Pacific Ocean waters.

9. Certain hard areas of ground had to be
exploded. Danger was everywhere.

10. The U.S. paid for the best equipment money could buy.
This steam shovel dug faster than many men could by
hand.

11. This two minute video shows real camera footage
of the Panama Canal being built.
• http://www.unitedstreaming.com/search/assetD

12. Mosquitoes were such a huge problem and danger for
workers that they had to be poisoned for constantly. These
carts were used for spraying.

13. Just like during the Spanish-American War,
mosquitoes were horrible and they killed
many canal workers.

14. This 45 second segment shows how
mosquitoes slowed the Canal’s construction.
• http://www.unitedstreaming.com/search/assetD

15. Sometimes it seemed the canal would never get built! It was just so
huge and so much of the work was slow, hard work. Imagine digging a
ditch 51 miles long (The distance from here to Birmingham) and a
couple of football fields wide!

16. Finally in 1914, after 10 years and 40,000 men working and
millions of dollars of equipment used, the canal was
finished!

17. Today, more than 50 ships a day pass
through the canal. It is a slow ride that
takes 24 hours.

18. The United States operated the canal for almost 100 years
but in 1977 President Jimmy Carter signed and agreement
to give the canal to Panama on Jan 1, 2000.
U.S. President Jimmy Carter signs agreement to give the Canal to Panama in 1977.