You are here :: Panama Real Estate » About-panama » Panama-canal-history

History of the Panama Canal

The building of the Panama Canal was and still is one greatest engineering projects in the history of the world. Built between 1904 and 1914 the Panama Canal has provided passage for over 800,000 boats between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. United States engineers and doctors had to excavate over 240 million cubic yards of earth of rock and dirt, and find a place for it, as well as overcome tropical diseases that had killed over 20,000 workers in the French effort to build a canal.

History of the Concept and Early French Effort to Build a Canal Across Panama

The idea of a canal to cross the Isthmus of Panama goes back to the 16th century. A working plan for a canal was drawn up as early as 1529 but no attempts were ever made to dig a canal until 1880. A French company, organized by the builder of the Suez Canal, Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps, started work in 1880 on a sea level canal. This effort was unsuccessful and left over 20,000 workers dead from tropical diseases, primarily yellow fever and malaria.

History of the US Interest in a Canal across Panama

The United States had developed an interest in a canal since the 1850's and had sent US Navy survey teams to investigate possible routes. After the French effort failed the US showed renewed interest in two routes, one in Nicaragua and one in Panama. After intense political discussion the Panama route won.

History of US Intervention and Support of Panama in Order to Build a Canal

The US negotiated the Hay-Herran Treaty with Colombia in 1903 to build a canal in the Colombian province of Panama. The Colombian legislature worried that the US would take over sovereignty and did not approve the treaty. President Roosevelt sent US naval warships and troops to support a budding revolution in the Colombian province of Panama. With US help the country of Panama came into existence.

History of the First Treaty for a Canal in Panama

The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was signed with the new Panama government promising in the first article that the US guaranteed the independence of the new country of Panama.

In return for this guarantee Panama allowed the US usage "in perpetuity" of a strip of land five miles on either side of the canal to be built across the isthmus.

Construction History and Challenges to Building a Canal across Panama

The History of the Construction of the Panama Canal starts in 1904 and the Panama Canal opened to ship traffic in 1914. Along the way American engineers decided on the construction of a lock canal, and the next years were spent developing construction facilities and eradicating tropical diseases in the area. In 1909, construction proper began. In one of the largest construction projects of all time, U.S. engineers moved nearly 240 million cubic yards of earth and spent close to $400 million in constructing the 40-mile-long canal (or 51 miles long, if the deepened seabed on both ends of the canal is taken into account). On August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal was opened to traffic.

History of the Eradication of Yellow Fever and Reduction of Malaria in Building the Panama Canal A key factor in the successful effort to build the Panama Canal was the control of infectious diseases. The beginning of the U.S. canal construction effort dates from May 4, 1904, when, in a brief ceremony, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officer Lieutenant Mark Brooke received the keys to the storehouses and Ancon Hospital. Chief Sanitary Officer Dr .William Crawford Gorgas and his staff were among the first to arrive and set up operations.

The understanding of the spread of infectious diseases was in its infancy in the 19th and early 20th century. The idea that mosquitoes spread both yellow fever and malaria was initially considered crazy. However, Dr. Gorgas and his staff prevailed on the second chief engineer, John F. Stevens, to use techniques Gorgas had learned in Cuba from his commanding officer, Walter Reed, to reduce mosquito populations. The end result of Gorgas' work was that Yellow Fever was eradicated from Panama with the last known case in 1905. Malaria continued. In 1905 nearly the entire American contingent contracted malaria, including Gorgas. In 1906 to 1907 the death rate of workers from Malaria was 7.45% but by 1913 it had been reduced to .03%. Thus the American effort proceeded with a much less debilitated work force than the French effort.

History of the Administration of the Panama Canal

The US administered the Panama Canal from its opening until 1977. However, after World War II Panamanians began to demand the return of their land, including the Panama Canal. The end result was the Torrijos - Carter Treaties of 1977 whereby a Panama and US Panama Canal Commission administered the Panama Canal for twenty years until in 1997 Panama took over sole responsibility for the Panama Canal.

Current Administration of the Panama Canal is by the Panama Canal Authority (Autoridad del Canal de Panamá, ACP). ACP is an autonomous agency of the government of Panama.

Since the turnover ACP has performed its functions well, decreasing transit times and improving Panama Canal infrastructure. Currently a Panama Canal Expansion Project is underway. When this $5 billion project is done in about ten years the Panama Canal will roughly its double capacity.