The building of the Panama Canal marked the beginning of a new era in American history. America had arrived as a world power, and the Canal was an important demonstration, and component that power. The story of the building of the Panama Canal should be required reading in our schools. It is a story of magnificent planning, ingenuity, hard work, and dedication.

Until I, myself, read about the building of the Panama Canal, I had no idea what a grand accomplishment it was, and still is. In MY modern era, i.e., the 21st Century, where I see small mountains leveled in a matter of weeks, I didn’t realize that even in this day and age, the building of such a canal would still be a monumental task.

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