Panama Canal

Lore & Background

The idea of a canal across Panama dates to 1513, when Spanish conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa first crossed the Isthmus of Panama and noted the possibility. The earliest formal proposal came in 1534, when Holy Roman Emperor Charles V ordered a survey. In 1668, English physician Sir Thomas Browne specifically proposed the Isthmus of Panama as the most convenient place. The first attempt to make the isthmus part of a trade route was the Darien scheme by the Kingdom of Scotland (1698–1700), abandoned due to inhospitable conditions. In 1811, Alexander von Humboldt considered five possible routes, favoring Nicaragua, which influenced the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty (1850) between the UK and US. The Mallarino–Bidlack Treaty (1846) granted the US transit rights and military intervention rights in the isthmus. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 spurred demand, leading to the construction of the Panama Canal Railway (1850–1855) by a syndicate founded by William Henry Aspinwall, costing US$8,000,000 and the lives of 6,000 to 12,000 workers from tropical diseases.

Reader's Guide

The Panama Canal is one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken. Its construction involved Colombia, France, and later the United States controlling the surrounding territory. The canal is now managed by the Panama Canal Authority. The American Society of Civil Engineers ranks it one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The canal faces threats from low water levels during droughts.

Did You Know?

• The Panama Canal uses locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial fresh water lake 26 meters (85 ft) above sea level.
• The American Society of Civil Engineers ranks the Panama Canal one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.