TR+-+Panama+Canal+Narrative


 * __Narrative:__**

During Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency, his achievement that was most important and considered the greatest of all achievements was the completion of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt himself spoke of the construction of the canal soon after becoming president. He said, “No single great material work which remains to be undertaken on this continent is as of such consequence to the American people.” The canal was finished and opened officially on August 15, 1914, four-hundred years after the dream had been thought up to connect the two great oceans of the Pacific and Atlantic.

In 1881, the canal was started by the French Compagnie Universelle du Canal Interocéanique and led by Ferdinand de Lesseps. The canal was expected to cost about $132 million and take 12 years to complete. Unfortunately, many of the workers began to suffer from disease and viruses from infected mosquitoes. Several thousands of men died on the job. The canal construction was halted in 1888 with approximately $287 million spent, and many unhappy French investors. Only 11 of the 50 miles needed to complete the canal were dug.

In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt acted quickly and bought the rights to the French canal property and the equipment for no more than $40 million. The main reason for Roosevelt’s interest in the canal was for the U.S. Navy to have a shorter distance to travel from coast to coast, making the U.S. Navy stronger and more flexible. The second reason was to make it cheaper for trade imports and exports all over the world.

Before the reconstruction of the canal, Columbia wanted a fee from the U.S. because the Isthmus of Panama was in Columbia. At the same time there were many groups of rebels that were trying to remove Columbia from power and make a Republic of Panama, so the U.S. aided the rebels. The Republic of Panama was then established. A deal was then made that the U.S. would pay Panama, the new born country, $10 million for the rights to the canal and a 5-mile wide zone of land on either side of the canal. (T.R.’s letter about the rebellion)

In 1904 the canal construction began and disease struck. But with the help of a well-qualified doctor, Dr. William Gorgas, progress continued more efficiently and smoother, by killing mosquitoes and containing the diseases they carried. After 10 years of hard labor the U.S. and Panamanian engineers and workers successfully completed the Panama Canal, spending over $128 million.

Despite many deaths on the job, the Panama Canal was an overall positive change for the U.S. and even Panama, therefore saving the U.S. money by creating a shorter route for ships to travel, making the cost of travel cheap and the time to travel swift. The construction of the canal has helped the U.S. Navy greatly as well by creating shorter routes to travel from coast to coast thus making the Navy stronger and more flexible. The canal also saved the Navy money from having to build more ships to guard the coasts, because it would have taken longer for the ships to travel around South America. The canal helped Panama gain money by ways of income taxes, security fees, and educational insurance whereas it also provided jobs for the citizens of Panama and contributed to the independence and creation of Panama as a nation. The canal is still operating successfully today and has helped to make the U.S. as well as other nations better. As a result, I can conclude that the construction of the Panama Canal is by far the greatest accomplishment of Theodore Roosevelt’s eventful presidency and has changed the nation in a most positive way.