Panama Canals Legacy in American History Essay - 2221 Words

The Panama Canal Assuredly the Panama Canal, If you didn’t know already, was one of the most economic and socialized marvels of its time. It was, at first, attempted by the French in the late 1800s, but they were unable to carry out the canal because of financial problems. Not only that, but yellow fever and malaria flooded the campgrounds with the aid of mosquitoes, which made the workforce unbalanced (Avery). Then in 1904, the Americans were to take over under the leadership and guidance of President Theodore Roosevelt. Even then Americans had a difficult time with construction. Moreover, with the canal built, it’s more sufficient then sailing around the tip of South America. Even today, the canal is used several times a day to bring†¦show more content†¦The kidneys would become infected as well and cause the person to bleed from the nose, mouth and stomach (Easmon). What was interesting, though, was that the West Indian Negroes, which worked on the canal, were somehow immune to yellow fever, but they severely suffered from malaria (Avery). Malaria, on the other hand, was far off more deadly then Yellow fever for it consisted of parasites (Malaria). An engineer once quoted â€Å"If we could control malaria, I would be less anxious about other diseases. If we cannot control malaria, our mortality is going to very heavy† (American Canal Construction). Consequently, these infections developed in mosquito salivary glands as well and reproduce in the liver (Malaria). Above all, this incubation period could last for months to a year at a time (Malaria). When the parasites leave the liver they reenter the bloodstream where they are able to infect red blood cells to reproduce once again until the cell bursts (Malaria). As a result, it caused anemia and jaundice from the lack of blood cells (Malaria). Other symptoms include seizures, confusion, coma and death (Malaria). Thus, the French were not able to keep up with the rapid growth of infected patients. They had only a few nurses in the infirmary that where nuns and it didn’t benefit them at all since they were untrained, which lost even more lives (Avery). For example, the nurses would leave in the evening without giving any other careShow MoreRelatedTheodore Roosevelt And William Howard Taft1501 Words   |  7 PagesWhen thinking about the numerous, dynamic leaders that America has had over the course of the nation’s history, it can become troublesome to fairly compare these respective heads of state. Though each American president has unquestionably left their own unique legacy from their time in office, when comparing leaders from similar times, certain consistencies can present themselves. While the Presidency is of course beholden to constructs of political normativity subjective to the era they presidedRead MoreTurning Point : The Suez Canal1679 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å" My country, is no longer in Africa, it is now in Europe.† - Isma’il the Magnificient Turning Point: The Suez Canal (1869) Control and influence of strategic chokepoints in a modern context, such as the Suez and Panama canals, are an essential ingredient to any nation’s survival and dominance. The Suez Canal opened in 1869 and allowed for the speedy transit of more than 21,415 vessels in 2013. The canal handled eight percent of global trade and, in 2012, accounted for $5