The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of The Panama Canal, 1870-1914

By David McCullough

🚀 The Book in 3 Paragraphs

1. Western powers have had the dream of an American canal ever since the the time of the conquistadors. It wasn’t until multiple surveys and expeditions from various countries were concluded that the French became the first to find the financing; diplomatic agreements (with Colombia), and know how to begin a canal in Panama. This was led by Ferdinand de Lesseps, a titan of history, that drove the creation of the Suez Canal; however his hubris (about creating a sea level rather than lock based canal) and faith in technology catching up to his vision led to the effort ultimately ending in lots of cost overruns and him and his colleagues disgrace and prosecution. Ultimately France had to sell the Canal to the USA in 1902 for pennies on the dollar (40 million vs 110 million USD)
2. The United States had been seriously interested in a canal dating back to the Lincoln, and most USA bets had been on building it in Nicaragua. Teddy Roosevelt was the driving force behind the USA really going for control of an American canal, largely because he believed naval dominance was the destiny and most strategically important calling for the USA. Fateful events occurred like the volcanic eruptions in Nicaragua shortly before a Senate vote that made Panama suddenly become the main choice despite very powerful constituencies supporting Nicaragua. Roosevelt also was worried that another country, such as Russia or Germany, might be able to complete the French canal which could nullify the strategic importance of a single American controlled canal. Secretary of State John Hay had the despised his Colombian counterparts at the negotiation table, and Colombian populists wanted to get more payment out of the USA to re-sign a treaty with them. These forces combined to some shadow diplomatic figures like Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla and Nelson Cromwell to aid a handful of Panamanian separatists to orchestrate a secession from Colombia in 1902. Powerful people like the governor of Panama City and the head of the Colombian battalion in Panama City were paid off to support creating Panama. The revolt succeeded with minimal violence and bloodshed and within weeks the USA recognized and swore its protection of Panama while signing a Panama Canal treaty that was overly preferential to USA interests.
3. Once the United States took over the Panama Canal construction it was a different approach it wasn’t all smooth sailing. While Roosevelt had the prescience to make ridding the isthmus of disease, it took more than a year to find the organizational structure to support implement Dr. William Gorgas’ revolutionary steps of ridding work areas of certain kinds of mosquitos. It took multiple chief engineers to find the right fit. John Stevens, the second Chief Engineer, was brilliant and designed amazing railroad systems to support excavation and improved quality of life for the workers, he ultimately soured on the position and George Washington Goethals succeeded him and stayed on for the duration. The Canal Zone, exclusively comprised of white American’s, largely skilled labor, and their families was like a socialist operation conceived of by Plato and Marx — meaning there was a ‘philosopher’ king and a orderly caste system, while each got according to their needs. On the other hand, black people (from the Caribbean, Barbados) were often not provided housing or amenities and had a standard of living 15 times less than the whites. Additionally they had a mortality rate 6 times higher than whites, but were able to freely access outstanding health care. In the end the project was completed in 1914, just as World War I began. Year after year the canal saw more usage. Traffic in the canal by the 1970’s was beyond fifteen thousand ships a year, annual tonnage was well beyond the 100,000,000. Less than 3,000 ships passed Tonnage in 1915 had been 5,000,000.

🎨 Impressions

How I Discovered It

I had identified Panama as a potential hub for my next chapter in life and this kicked off interest in wanting to learn more about the canal and its history. I’ve wanted to read another David McCullough book since thoroughly enjoying 1776 years ago.

Who Should Read It?

The book is very long, but its extremely well written. It touches wonderfully on all aspects of the history including longstanding aspirations to build it, trial and error in the geopolitical and economic aspects of the project, the medical and engineering feats, and the societal and racial politics in the effort. Some sections, such as the overthrow of Colombia read like a page turner spy novel.

☘️ How the Book Changed Me

<aside> 💡

• I had been totally ignorant of the Panama Canal until reading this book. Now I’ve come to learn how transformational it was in creating a globalized world with the USA being the hegemon of the world order in the last 125 years.
• Part of what I take from this book and my time in Panama is how its been a bridge in so many ways in its history. At the BioMuseum in Panama City the crux of the exhibits was explaining how the formation of Panama created a prehistoric land bridge for animals and people, bridging North and South America. The Canal had a powerful impact as well both in speeding up trade and the perception that humans could traverse the constraints imposed upon us by nature.
• It was striking to read about how unequal the social situation was between white American’s that comprised the skilled labor, and black folk from Barbados who were the unskilled labor. Even in a situation where the government is funding a project the laws of supply and demand still hold. It makes me wonder how we can ever reach our ideals of equality in human worth, as we march towards more automation, and more of a skills gap between humans. </aside>

✍️ My Top Quotes

• To him (President Teddy Roosevelt), first, last, and always, the canal was the vital—the indispensable—path to a global destiny for the United States of America. He had a vision of his country as the commanding power on two oceans, and these joined by a canal built, owned, operated, policed, and fortified by his country. The canal was to be the first step to American supremacy at sea.
• Panama was the place to build the canal for the following reasons, Hanna began, as his secretary, who sat behind him, handed up a sheaf of papers. One: A Panama canal would be 134.57 miles shorter, terminal to terminal. Two: It would have considerably less curvature. Three: The time in transit, by steam, would be less than half that at Nicaragua—twelve hours against thirty-three. Four: Panama required fewer locks. Five: Panama had better harbors. Six: Panama was “a beaten track in civilization.” Seven: Panama had a railroad “perfect in every respect.” Eight: A Panama canal would cost less to run. Nine: “All engineering and practical questions involved in the construction of the Panama canal are satisfactorily settled and assured.
• Concha wrote (of Americans and the American Government), “The desire to make themselves appear, as a Nation, most respectful of the rights of others forces these gentlemen to toy a little with their prey before devouring it, although when all is said and done, they will do so in one way or other.”
• ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.’ -Teddy Roosevelt
• Accordingly I took the Isthmus, started the canal and then left Congress not to debate the canal, but to debate me. -Teddy Roosevelt on Executive Power
• “Men who achieve greatness, do not work more complexly than the average man, but more simply . . . . In dealing with complex problems, with the simplicity natural to him he went directly to the point, unaffected by the confusion of details in which a smaller man would have lost himself.” - The Brothers Mayo on Dr. Gorgas
• As conceived by Stevens, the Panama project was simply one of moving unprecedented tonnage—dirt—by railroad with the least possible wasted motion.
• Construction of the canal would consume more than 61,000,000 pounds of dynamite, a greater amount of explosive energy than had been expended in all the nation’s wars until that time… Taken together, the French and American expenditures came to about $639,000,000. The deaths incurred during the French era are included, the total price in human life may have been as high as twenty-five thousand, or five hundred lives for every mile of the canal.
• “I believe that we are but children picking up pebbles on the shore of the boundless ocean. . . .” - John Stevens

The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914