In the 1880's and 90's the French attempted to build the canal but failed. In 1902, under President Theodore Roosevelt, the United States purchased the French holdings in Panama for a record $40 million. Col. George Washington Goethals of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was put in charge. And the construction of the Canal proceeded with unprecedented speed. In 1913, a full year ahead of schedule and under budget by almost $23 billion, the Panama Canal was completed. The first vessel, the tugboat Gatún, tested the locks on September 16, 1913, and the Canal was officially opened on August 15, 1914.
he was born in NY but originally from Belgium...his parents were flemish from Belgium...
belgianman 1 month ago
cool. sublime. real.
robert goethals
vikingsandvandals 8 months ago
Do you have the name of the song to this video?
writergirl1313 9 months ago
The funny thing is that thanks to Jimmy Carter,the Panama Canal is now a Panamanian possession.
98bigbutt 11 months ago