Panama Canal

The Panama Canal was constructed in two different stages. The first stage began in 1881 and ended in 1888. The work done in the first stage was done by the French company headed by de Lessop. The second stage of construction took place in 1904-1914. During the second period American workers worked on the Canal.

"The first attempt to build the Canal was made by a French company, but the attempt ended in failure in 1889. The American government eventually bought out the French for 40 million dollars, and their attempt to build the Canal started in 1904. The project ended in triumph, with the Canal opening in 1914, and it is now a vital artery of international trade, with nearly 14,000 ships travelling through it every year."

(source)

The Panama Canal is about fifty miles long. It runs across the center of Panama and links the Atlantic and Pacific. At the ends of the canal in the Pacific and Atlantic, there are locks that either raise the ship to the surface of the canal or lower the ships to sea level. The Canal itself is made up of the Gaillard Cut Channel and the Gatun Lake.

The total financial cost to the American government was around $375 million to build the canal. Not only did it cost Americans a lot of money, but many American lives as well. the death toll by the time the canal was finished was a bout 25,000 people.

Ultimately, the Panama Canal was a vital part of history. This canal was used by early explorers. Without this canal world shipping and trading would be much more complicated. The Panama Canal is a key element to all of history.

New York Subway

In the 1900s the second largest city in the world, with a population of over 3,000,000, was
New York City. Most of the people that lived in New York City lived in Manhattan (the lower east side). Because of the huge population in Manhattan, it was nearly impossible to get around. It took hours just to get from Wall Street to Harlem. Many people wanted to move out of Manhattan, but it wasn't practical to do so, considering that much of the rest of New York was undeveloped.

In March 1900, ground was broken in Manhattan for an electric powered subway. It took 12,000 workers to build the subway. The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the one responsible for building this subway. They cut a trench to accommodate a 55-foot wide and 15-foot high tunnel. The rails were laid and stations built, the finished work was enclosed in steel beams, and a shallow layer of fill and paving was placed over the trench.

The development of the subway caused New York to flourish in many ways. It allowed people to be able to live in a completely different area than where they worked. It made travel much easier. When subways were built, houses, neighborhoods, and shops were built around them. Because transportation became much easier with the invention of subways, the bulk of the population of New york spread beyond Manhattan.

The subway opened on October 27, 1904. On that day 150,000 people paid a nickel to ride the subway. New Yorkers loved the subway because it was quick, but also because it was clean; it didn't produce smoke or cinders. It was the fastest city transportation system in the world. Its four-track design enabled both express and local trains to run in each direction.

In conclusion, the subway was vital to the development of New York. It allowed people to get from place to place much quicker. It also expanded job opportunities for people to places other than the city that they lived in. The subway was revolutionary for New Yorkers.

America’s Participation in the Spanish-American War

The Spanish–American War took place between April and August 1898. It was an armed military conflict between Spain and the United States. It was fought over the issue of the liberation of Cuba. The war began after America demanded for resolution of the Cuban fight for independence and it was rejected by Spain.

“The revolution in Havana prompted the United States to send in the warship USS Maine to indicate high national interest. Tension among the American people was raised because of the explosion of the USS Maine, and the yellow journalist newspapers that accused the Spanish of oppression in their colonies, agitating American public opinion. The war ended after victories for the United States in the Philippine Islands and Cuba.”

On December 10, 1898, the signing of the Treaty of Paris gave the United States control of Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam. This treaty began a new long standing relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico. Another long- term effect of the Treaty of Paris was that many Puerto Ricans immigrated to the US, especially New York City.


On August 7 1898, the American forces began to leave Cuba. The biggest problem now was yellow fever. This disease had quickly spread among the American occupation force,which resulted in it becoming extremely damaged. A group of officers of the American army chose Theodore Roosevelt to draft a request to Washington telling it to withdraw the Army.

The evacuation, however, was not complete. The Army kept the black Ninth Infantry Regiment in Cuba to support the occupation. The logic behind this was their race and the fact that many black volunteers came from southern states would protect them. This led to these soldiers being nicknamed “Immunes”. Still, by the time the Ninth left, 73 of the 984 soldiers had become infected with the disease.

The war marked the beginning of America being involved in world affairs. Ever since, the United States has had a significant part in conflicts around the world, and entered into many treaties and agreements. The United States then entered a lengthy and prosperous period of economic and population growth. This period also consisted of technological innovation that lasted through the 1920s.

Theodore Roosevelt

The life of Theodore Roosevelt was a very interesting one. Despite the many health problems that hinder Roosevelt, he fought to prosper and have a successful life. His story is great because it shows how he persevered through a rough childhood, and became the President of the United States.

Theodore Roosevelt was born to a wealthy family on October 27, 1858 in New York City. As a child, Roosevelt had asthma and was very sick quite often. even though Roosevelt was sick constantly, he never let negativity bring him down. He was determined to be a physically strong individual. in order to gain strength, he took up gymnastics and weight training. He then made exercise a part of his daily routine. He took part in many different activities, such as horseback riding, swimming, and hiking.

In 1884, Roosevelt experienced an extreme hardship. Just two days after his wife, Alice Lee Roosevelt, gave birth to a baby girl, Roosevelt's mother died due to kidney failure. On the same day, just a few hours after his mother passed away, his wife did as well. Both his mother and wife died on the same day ad in the same house. He felt like he just had to get away, so he left his daughter with his sister. He went to the Dakota Badlands. Here he bought a few ranches and stayed there just to escape politics for a while.

In 1866, Roosevelt goes back to New York, remarries, and gets right back into politics. He was appointed as a member of the Civil Service Commission of which he later became president. In 1897 he joined the administration of President McKinley as the secretary of the Navy. He began to prepare for the Cuban War, which broke out in 1898. During the war, he went to Cuba as a lieutenant colonel of a regiment of volunteer cavalry. Roosevelt was also elected as governor of New York.

He served as vice president for less than a year and became president after the assassination of President McKinley on September 14, 1901. This is how he became president. His life leading up to his presidency was hard but he fought through it. His health didn’t stop him from becoming what he wanted to become.

The Trans-Continental Railroad

Long distances and slow transportation made things difficult for the Eastern and Western commercial centers. The United States Government, as well as entrepreneurs, wanted to create something to make and easier access between the two sections. For many years after 1850, Congress studied possible transcontinental routes, but arguments over sectionalism and slavery blocked all plans. Not until after the South seceded and the Civil War had begun could Congress pass an effective transcontinental plan. Then the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 was passed.

The Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 needed for two railroad companies to complete the transcontinental line. The railroad would be a "land-grant railroad". This meant that the government would give each company 6,400 acres of land and up to $48,000 for every mile of the track they built. The money made this idea even more appealing. It would also bring more settlers to the West who would need the railroads to haul freight.

The thing that made the congress hesitant to fund the building of the railroads, was their fear that they would never be completed. Because of this fear, something called a caveat was written into the act. The caveat stated that the railroads must be completed by July 1,1876. If the railroads were not completed by this day, then the companies would forfeit their money, land, and all of the constructed track.

The Union Pacific Railroad was the company that built the eastern half of the railroad, which started in Nebraska. The Central Pacific Railroad was the company that built the Western half. The Central Pacific Railroad was owned by entrepreneurs in California.

"Preliminary work began, even as the nation still fought the Civil War. Surveyors and engineers had to scout and map workable routes. After the war, several army generals served as engineers on the project. They included Grenville Dodge, a favorite general of Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman, who became the Union Pacific's chief engineer.Work progressed rapidly after the Civil War. The project attracted many former soldiers, both Union and Confederate, as well as Irish and Chinese immigrants. The Central Pacific quickly had to tackle the rugged Sierras in California. Rather than go over or around them, engineers chose to go through them. But such a plan required tons of dynamite and someone to set the charges. The Chinese were often willing to do the hazardous work for less pay than other Americans, and they became a backbone of the Central Pacific work crew. Men working on both lines braved the extremes of heat and cold, hostile Native Americans, and disease as they advanced." (source)

The two railroads reached northern Utah at about the same time. The work crews kept working and passed each other because the government had not yet decided where the rails would meet. Government then decided for their meeting point to be in Promontory Point, Utah. A ceremony was held, it included the driving of a symbolic golden railroad spike. Then the two lines linked on May 10,1869, seven years ahead of schedule.

1893 World Fair

The World Fair in 1893 was held in Chicago. It was held in order to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the new world. The primary designer of the World Fair was Daniel Burnham and Fredrick Law Olmsted. It was the prototype of what Burnham and his colleagues thought a city should be. The fair covered over 600 acres of land and featured over 200 buildings of classical architecture, canals and lagoons.

It hosted people of many cultures from all around the world. About half the U.S. population (27 million people), attended the World Fair during its six month run. Its large scale and grandeur set it apart from all other world fairs. It soon became the symbol of emerging American Exceptionalism.

The dedication ceremonies for the fair were held on October 21, 1892, but the fairgrounds were not actually opened to the public until May 1, 1893. The fair continued until October 30th 1893. The World Fair did not just celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s discovery, but it also was held in Chicago to show the world that Chicago had risen after being destroyed in 1871 by the Great Chicago Fire. October 21st 1893 was declared “Chicago Day” at the fair. On this day the record for outdoor event attendance was set, drawing 716,881 people to the fair.

On opening day the World Fair was a sight to see. It attracted so many people from all over the world. The fair was opened by President Grover Cleveland. About 129,000 people showed up on opening day. The prices to enter were fifty cents for adults and twenty-five cents for children. Though it was bit pricey at its time, people gladly paid the money to enter.

I think that the most important thing debuted at the fair was the ferris wheel. The ferris wheel was the most visited attraction at the fair. It was invented by George W. Ferris; he spent about $275,000 constructing this vast attraction. Over 1.5 million people rode the huge ferris wheel during its five months of operation. The ferris wheel help represent how the World Fair of 1893 was a grand example of the Gilded Age. The Gilded Age was an era of reform and the fair represented this greatly.

"Era of Poor Politicking"

After the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson became the new leader of our country. We will be looking at the period of time of Johnson’s presidency through McKinley’s. We will be looking at the choices they made which drastically changed our country, of lack of choices to differ our country.


During the presidency of Johnson, the radical republicans disregarded his ideas and passed legislation over his veto. In 1867 Johnson was impeached for breaking one of the laws that the radicals enforced. Ulysses S. Grant was the next president. Yes, he was a great general in the war, but when it came to his presidency, he made little effort to impact the country.

The next president was Rutherford B. Hayes.

“Beneficiary of the most fiercely disputed election in American history, Rutherford B. Hayes brought to the Executive Mansion dignity, honesty, and moderate reform.” (source)

After Hayes came James A. Garfield. Just as Garfield was beginning to make a good impact on the government during the reconstruction period, he was assassinated. His presidency only lasted for one year. He was succeeded by Chester A. Arthur. While president, Arthur passed two major acts. These acts were the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Pendleton Civil Service Act. Cleveland came next. He was the only president to leave the White House and then return for a second term four years later. He vetoed many acts and bills.

Next to come was Benjamin Harrison. He passed many acts while serving his term. In one year he passed three substantial acts. Many people believe that his term was a productive one. And finally the last president in the “era of poor politicking” was William McKinley.

“William McKinley, Jr. (January 29, 1843 – September 14, 1901) was the 25th President of the United States, and the last veteran of the American Civil War to be elected to the office.By the 1880s, McKinley was a national Republican leader; his signature issue was high tariffs on imports as a formula for prosperity, as typified by his McKinley Tariff of 1890. As the Republican candidate in the 1896 presidential election, he upheld the gold standard, and promoted pluralism among ethnic groups. His campaign, designed by Mark Hanna, introduced new advertising-style campaign techniques that revolutionized campaign practices and beat back the crusading of his arch-rival, William Jennings Bryan. The 1896 election is often considered a realigning election that marked the beginning of the Progressive Era.” (source)

McKinley was then assassinated, becoming the third American president to be assassinated.

After researching this group of presidents, I can see why anyone would call this the “era of poor politicking”. Many of the presidents that I have mentioned, didnat make much of an impact on our country. They also didn’t help it in ways they should have. Some of the presidents, however, didn’t get a chance to make changes because they were assassinated, impeached, etc. Some of these presidents were faced with opposition, while others just didn’t try much to make a difference.