Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., recently shared footage of himself dressed in formal attire, telling an audience about the incredible engineering feat that was the Panama Canal. At the time it was built, the canal was an engineering marvel, relying on a series of locks that lift ships – and their thousands of pounds – from one ocean to another.
By David Vine From Washington DC. Amid renewed fear mongering about an “invasion” at the U.S.-Mexico border, this week's 175th anniversary of the 1846–1848 Mexican-American War serves as a reminder of the United States' historical involvement in the region. The final years of the 19th century and opening decades of the 20th witnessed the rapid growth and solidification of the United States as a global power, with the construction of the Panama Canal being a key milestone in this process.
With the support of the U.S. government, Panama issues a declaration of independence from Colombia. The revolution was engineered by a group of Panamanian nationalists who sought to break free from Colombian control and establish their own sovereign nation. In the Central American nation of Nicaragua, plans are quietly being hatched for new interoceanic transportation routes, both water routes and rail lines, as countries in the region seek to capitalize on the economic opportunities presented by the Panama Canal.