Building America’s Modern Marvel
This article was originally published in our December 6, 1999 issue. It has been lightly edited for space and clarity.
Much has been written about the building of the Panama Canal. Yet no matter how many times it is told it never loses its sense of grandeur. British historian James Bryce called the Canal “the greatest liberty Man has ever taken with nature.” Without a doubt it is one of the most compelling chapters in the history of mankind.
Ever since Vasco Nuñez de Balboa stood on the shores of Panama in 1513 and claimed the Pacific for Spain, men have dreamed of an isthmian canal. Not long after Balboa’s discovery of the Pacific, the Spanish monarchy ordered a survey of Panama in order to investigate the possibility of building a canal. But the realities of 16th century technology and politics precluded any serious attempt at actual construction. It would take another 300 years and the construction of a Panamanian railroad before a canal would be seriously reconsidered.
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