In 1492 the first Europeans set foot on a new land. Over the next 400 years, America would utilize its abundant natural resources and determined people to establish itself as a developed and industrialized nation. The industrialized nations of Western Europe had dominated world affairs until the 20th century, when the United States rose to prominence. One of the greatest technological achievements of our time, the creation of a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, solidified America as a world power as the modern era emerged.
Prior to an American presence in Panama, the French had been the primary entrepreneurs of a canal across Panama. The French attempt to build a canal across the isthmus failed miserably. The French operation was headed by Ferdinand de Lessups, an accomplished engineer who was credited with designing and building the Suez Canal in Egypt. Despite a mammoth budget and thousands of strong-minded workers, the French were unable to come close to completion of the canal. The French canal company went bankrupt while the financial investments of more than 800,000 Frenchmen were lost in the construction in addition to the thousands of lives lost in the jungle.1 French failures were mainly accredited to the disease epidemics, inadequate financing, poor engineering, the harsh jungle environment, and lack of political support. .
De Lessups, though a hero to the French people for his work in Egypt, was not a trained engineer. His designs called for a sea-level canal, which was entirely impractical considering the topography of the region. The French problem was not incompetent workers; it was the administration and organization tactics. The entire concept of the French operation was at fault.2 .
The construction of the canal by the French was plagued by constant problems. Of course, the humid climate and terrain presented tremendous difficulties. The Panamanian jungles made progress extremely slow.