answersLogoWhite

0

The reason the canal was built was to make a trip from the Atlantic to Pacific quicker than going around the bottom of South America. This was mainly because of trade. The idea to build the canal came from french designer Ferdinand de Lesseps. This man built the SSuez canal. His attempt soon failed because his workers started dying of malaria and exhaustion. America stepped up under the command of president Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt soon started planning the build of how the 50 mile long canal would be formed in 1905. He finally finished building this major improvement for ships in August of 1914.

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

What else can I help you with?