Demolition, disease, and death: Building the Panama Canal - Alex Gendler
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TEDEd Animation
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In the 19th century, the California gold rush brought thousands of settlers to America's west coast. But finding gold may have been easier than transporting it back east. The only hope for avoiding a grueling six month wagon journey was to travel the narrowest portion of the continent — the 48-kilometer Isthmus of Panama. Alex Gendler details the creation of the Panama Canal.
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Additional Resources for you to Explore
Writing nearly 100 years apart, J. Saxon Mills and David McCullough have produced masterful books on the canal. A lecture delivered by the chief engineer to the National Geographic Society shortly after the canal’s completion gives even more detail. And The Smithsonian provides a virtual multimedia tour of the construction process.
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Meet The Creators
- Educator
- Alex Gendler
- Director
- Cabong Studios
- Narrator
- Addison Anderson
- Storyboard Artist
- Rui Silveira
- Animator
- Renato Nogueira Cavalher, Bianca Duffeck
