On February 23, 1904, the United States purchased the Panama Canal Zone from Panama and began one of the most ambitious engineering projects in history—the construction of the Panama Canal. After earlier failed attempts by France, American engineers overcame disease, dangerous terrain, landslides, and massive elevation changes by building a system of locks that lifted ships 80 feet above sea level to cross the Continental Divide. When the canal opened in 1914, it dramatically shortened global trade routes, allowing ships to pass between the Atlantic and Pacific in hours instead of weeks, and it remains a powerful reminder that unity, cooperation, and perseverance can accomplish extraordinary things.

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