Most people are familiar with the Panama Canal, but they probably don’t know the first effort to build the Panama Canal, spanning almost a decade, was by France. Facing considerable initial naysaying and ridicule, Ferdinand de Lesseps had the acumen and drive to construct the Suez Canal. Success was realized after overcoming many obstacles and difficulties. Naturally enough, France turned to him to build a sea-level canal in Panama.
Minority technical reports evaluating the feasibility of a canal through the Panamanian isthmus concluded either artificial lakes, emulating what was already present in Nicaragua, or else a series of locks, were needed. A sea-level canal without locks was considered unrealistic due to the terrain of mostly rock, and massive mud
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