Economic_Impact

The Panama Canal was financially beneficial for the United States despite it’s controversial and heavy cost of construction.

The canal was also quite lucrative in the long run proving to “stimulate both domestic and foreign commerce”. The Canal Zone Government’s annual report shows that the Canal’s toll collection rose from $20 million in 1948 to nearly $40 million in 1958. This broke the economic barrier of the Isthmus of Panama, which proivded America substantial financial benefit.

Annual tolls report, 1959, Panama Canal Company,

Costs

Graph of deaths to Malaria, 1916, Digital Public Library of America

This graph showcases the amount of deaths from Malaria over time. This shows that the challenges overcame by workers.

"Amazing engineering and ‘bittersweet’ politics built the Panama Canal" PBS New Hour, Aug 15, 2014

Unfortunately, with the Panama Canal, there were also costs. In 1903 the United States’ Government purchased the 10-mile wide canal zone from the Colombian Government. The construction had cost the United States $375 million and 5,609 lives lost to malaria.

Physical Barriers

Political Barriers