Print this page The Panama Canal: A Land Divided, A World United
J.M. Syken
Course Outline
In this course, we will examine the background and history of the creation of “The Path Between the Seas” – the Panama Canal. This will include the geographical and topographical features of the Isthmus of Panama, the early use of the Isthmus as a ”land bridge” between the Atlantic and Pacific ocean/s, early and later plans for both a sea-level and/or “lake & lock” trans-oceanic canal and the developments in the mid-nineteenth century such as the creation of the trans-Isthmian Panama Railroad and the completion of the Suez Canal and their influences on the creation of the Panama Canal. The strategic and commercial importance/value/benefits of the canal will also be discussed extensively
We will examine in depth and detail the failed French effort to build both a sea-level and, later, instead a lock canal across Panama and its influences on the later successful American effort. The various schemes for a canal in the Central American region and their inherent pros and cons will be reviewed carefully as will be the decision by the United States to build a lock canal in Panama rather than Nicaragua. The infrastructure, organization, health and sanitary conditions/efforts, technology, construction and engineering used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build, maintain and defend the canal will be the subject of much discussion. As well, the plans for alternate canals and/or expansion of the existing canal will be reviewed in-depth.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Understand/appreciate the importance of the Panamanian Isthmus in the colonization of the New World and its economic and strategic relevance;
- Understand/appreciate the early efforts, surveys etc. to create a sea-level trans-Isthmian canal;
- Understand/appreciate the competing locations for a canal from Mexico to Columbia and the seismic, topographic and geographic characteristics of the Isthmus;
- Understand/appreciate the French motivations, effort, achievements, failures etc. in attempting to dig a sea-level canal;
- Understand/appreciate why the French abandoned the sea-level attempt in favor of a “lake & lock” canal in the wake of their catastrophic failure at sea-level and why that too failed;
- Understand/appreciate American interests in a trans-oceanic canal starting in the 1830s and how the competing locations, schemes etc. resulted in a trans-Isthmian lock canal;
- Understand/appreciate how the American effort first concentrated on health and sanitary conditions in the Canal Zone and how that, ultimately, allowed the canal to be built;
- Understand/appreciate the use of dams, locks and lakes to elevate ships to a height 85-feet above sea-level in order to transit from one ocean to another;
- Understand/appreciate the difficulties encountered in creating a ship channel through the Continental Divide at Culebra and the on-going problems of slides;
- Understand/appreciate the reasons, need, controversy etc. over fortifying the canal and its strategic use during both World Wars;
- Understand/appreciate the shortcomings and/or problems in the design/use of the canal and the various conceptual plans to provide alternate canals/trans-Isthmian communication; and
- Understand/appreciate the realized effort to expand the existing canal in order for it to be able to handle “Post-Panamax” shipping and how that can/will effect world commerce.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for architects, engineers and other design professionals.
Benefit to Attendees
The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight into one of the greatest engineering achievements in human history: Panama Canal
Course Introduction
The course includes an in-depth PowerPoint presentation and the viewing of a documentary film
Course Content
In this course, you are required to view/study the following slideshow and the materials contained in the web pages:
The Panama Canal: A Land Divided, A World United (printable handout in PDF, 18 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)
The Panama Canal: A Land Divided, A World United (non-printable slideshow for screen-viewing only, 69 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)
Archival/Documentary Film:
TITLE: The Canal in the Jungle
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrTQ8Uxpv3E
DURATION: 48:51
Note A: Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right-clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader from your computer.
Course Summary
With the completion of the Panama Canal, the world became a smaller place. No longer would ships be required to take the “Magellan Route” - around the tip of South America at Cape Horn and there experience the fearsome seas of “The Roaring Forties.” Almost immediately, shippers and manufacturers realized the benefits of using the canal in lieu of land/rail transportation, even though the route to and through the canal might be longer geographically, it typically proved more cost-effective. With the 21st Century expansion of the canal, a new era is dawning in world commerce, opening up the east coast of the United States to direct shipping from Asia via the expanded and improved canal. Perhaps the distinguished author and historian David McCullough summed the work of creating the Panama Canal best in his landmark book entitled: “The Path Between the Seas”: “The creation of a water passage across Panama was one of the supreme human achievements of all time, the culmination of a heroic dream of over four hundred years and of more than twenty years of phenomenal effort and sacrifice. The fifty miles between the oceans were among the hardest ever won by human effort and ingenuity, and no statistics on tonnage or tolls can begin to convey the grandeur of what was accomplished. Primarily the canal is an expression of that old and noble desire to bridge the divide, to bring people together. It is a work of civilization.”
Related Links
For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:
http://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/Panama_Canal
http://www.scribd.com/doc/75796643/Interocianic-Canal-Studies-1970
http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/super_structures_panama_canal
http://archive.org/details/0385_Panama_Canal_16_37_51_00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15klPdOAWSc
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
