The Panama Canal is one of the most significant construction projects in the modern era. While it's completion represented a landmark achievement that changed the course of world trade, it wasn't without major cost. Thousands of workers died as technology and medical research failed to catch up to the obstacles faced by crews. It wasn't until the Americans took over the failed French project, that things finally came to be. Today we'll explore the history of the Panama Canal, and better understand why something like this could have only happened when it happened.