How the Panama Canal helped make the U.S. a world power
How the Panama Canal helped make the U.S. a world power
BY Anya van Wagtendonk August 15, 2014 at 6:32 PM EDT
Considered one of the wonders of the modern world, the Panama Canal opened for business 100 years ago this Friday, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and providing a new route for international trade and military transport.
At the time it was built, the canal was an engineering marvel, relying on a series of locks that lift ships – and their thousands of pounds of cargo – above mountains.
But thousands of workers died during its construction, and its history has seen no shortage of controversy, including a contentious transference of authority from the US to Panama in the 1970s.
Work recently began on a substantial expansion effort that will allow the canal to accommodate modern cargo needs.
More:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/panama-canal-helped-make-u-s-world-power/
LA forum:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/110832897