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It's October in 1849 and you're waiting anxiously on the wars of the New York Harbor because like everyone you know you are desperate to Head West to California and stake your claim in the gold rush but ahead of you lies an arduous passage instead of heading Overland a journey lasting months you've opted for a different path scraping together the $400 needed to go by steamship this route will only take you 40 days but eight of them will be spent struggling through the rivers and
Mountains of Panama where you'll face lethal diseases hungry wildlife and spend more time on the back of a mule than you'd care to there has got to be a better way to get in on this action well you're in luck because in a few short months, a shipping magnate will set out to build one no matter the cost thanks so much to skill share for always helping to keep us on track towards learning new things
Revolutionizing Travel: Aspinwall's Vision for the Panama Route
You see what I did there in the middle of the 19th century getting from one side of the continental United States to the other was Big Business Californian and gold needed to reach the banks of New York and Wealthy migrants wanted a faster and more comfortable route to head out west than the arduous Oregon Trail now the obvious solution was to build a railroad connecting the vast network of rails on the East Coast with California and the Pacific Ocean Congress had agreed back in 1847 that it was a good idea but it would be 16 years before the first tracks of the Transcontinental Railroad would be laid and 20 2 years before a train made the first trip from Council Bluffs to
Sacramento so in the meantime would be Prospectors and entrepreneurs looked to the Seas the quickest route was to board a ship in New York or New Orleans and head south to the isthmus of Panama there they would hire locals to carry them by boat or canoe up the sugar river then switch to mules for the mountainous passage to Panama City but this was hardly better than the dusty trails from St Louis to San Francisco we found the road in a horrid condition said one traveler the mud was 5 ft deep and we passed dead donkeys being picked clean by vultures most of the hotels along the Route were little more than log cabins run by unsavory Americans who had driven out their local competitors but the mud and mules were just inconveniences for the Panamanian jungle was Rife
With deadly diseases like cholera and malaria in fact life insurance policies even had a special Clause that would render them void if the holders ever entered the land of shag fever because there was a real risk that anyone setting out from the Atlantic Ocean would not reach the Pacific the wealthier of these Westward Travelers started to demand better and it was William H Aspinwall who stepped up to deliver it Aspinwall descended from men who had come to America aboard the Mayflower and attended the Continental Congress his younger sister was married to Isaac Roosevelt whose grandson Franklin would go on to be the 32nd president of the United States so yeah Aspen Wall was by any measure part of the American Elite turns out he also knew a thing or two about shipping for his trading company owned the an McKim the rainbow and the sea witch the three fastest ships in
Race to the Gold: Aspinwall's Panama Railroad Venture
The world actually the sea witch was so fast that in 1849 she sailed from Hong Kong to New York in just 77 days which is a record that wasn't beaten until 2013 so yeah but in 1848 he handed over the reign of his company to his brother so he could focus on a new Venture facing p passengers to California and his timing couldn't have been better for with the gold rush raging hundreds of thousands of people were looking West and would eagerly pay to get there fast but the competition in this Arena was fierce for instance no less a figure than Cornelius Vanderbilt himself one of the richest men to ever live set up a chain of Steamboats in 1851 to carry passengers through the more temperate Waters of Nicaragua and the traffic was massive in 4 years Vander built steamboats
Carried over 150,000 people Westward to the goldfields Aspinwall for his part thought he could do better so in 1850 with $1 million in funding he headed south to Begin work on a railroad across the isthmus of Panama but it quickly became clear that Aspinwall and his backers had bitten off more than they could chew the mouth of the Shag River was a swamp home to alligators malaria and some of the most toxic trees in the world seriously look these things up they are nightmare fuel Plus it didn't have a port Aspinwall had to actually build a whole town on stilts just to escape the High Tides but regardless thousands of laborers were shipped in to build the railroad men came or were sent from as AAR afield as Ireland Jamaica and Australia to be paid as little as 40 cents a day for backbreaking work then when the project started to run behind Aspen Wall had his super fast sea witch bring in
Thousands of indentured Chinese laborers were treated little better than slaves and it cannot be under how terrible the working conditions were with few machines and pack animals to help them the workers did everything by hand mile upon mile of vines and creepers were hacked back with machetes hardwood trees 10 yards wide were cut down with nothing but axes and then hauled Away by sweating workmen the first miles of the railroad had to be laid on wooden pilings driven into the Sand by men standing up to their chests in swampy water and all of this surrounded by mosquitoes sandflies and what one visiting writer described as quote the Perpetual warm bath of the hot moist climate unquote it took almost 2 years for the railroad to advance just 8 Miles Inland by the end of 1851 Aspen Wall had spent his 1 million and had also seen hundreds of laborers die from yellow
The Panama Railroad: Bridging Continents and Economies
Fever and cholera not to mention thousands more had left for easier work or simply fled back home the project seemed doomed but then something unbelievably lucky happened in November of 1851 two paddle Steamers Georgia and the Philadelphia were forced to seek Shelter From a hurricane in a nearby Bay now the passengers were desperate to get off their ships and were also willing to pay for their luggage and themselves to be carried along the 8 mils of track that had been laid toward Panama City after all that was 8 Miles that they didn't have to do by river or donkey this was the break that Aspen Wall's project needed his company immediately ordered passenger carriages to be shipped from the US and for the rest of the project as a side hustle they fed migrants from the
Atlantic Ocean to as far as the railroad reached this approach paid off for by the time the first train ran the full length of the Railway in January 1855 over a third of its total cost had been paid off by fairs collected during its construction the Panama railroad was completed at a cost of $8 million and it was the most expensive Railway in the world at the time equivalent to over $280 million today but it cost much more than just money historians over the years have found it hard to establish a firm figure but it seems clear that of The 177,000 Men Who Built the railroad at least 6,000 of them died of heat and sickness in the abysmal working conditions of course Aspinwall and his investors thought it was worth it for now it only took 4 hours not eight long days to go from the Atlantic to the Pacific with the railroad built it now only took 21 days to travel between New York and San Francisco while also being in the relative comfort that modern steamships and trains could offer between
1848 and 1869 about 600,000 passengers traveled through Panama the vast majority of them along the railroad but far more consequential was the freight that it hauled in the second year of the railroads opening 60 million in gold went East and in total more than 750 million of gold made the trip across the narrow isthmus though it wasn't just gold mind you the Panama railroad opened up the east coast of America and the whole of Europe really to the trades of the Pacific whale oil coffee and silver went one way and the produce of British Mills and East Coast foundries went back until the opening of the Panama Canal 60 years later the Panama railroad carried more weight of goods than any other railway in the world the 19th century was the age when distance Was Defeated men with
Building the World: The Impact of Commerce and Labor
Money set its sights on conquering time and drawing the world together with the overwhelming power of Commerce but we should also always remember like in Panama and so many other places the price of their ambition was the lives of thousands of workers thankfully since then labor laws have improved in many places but there's still just a ton of work to do on that front around the world because while projects like the Panama railroad absolutely improved the lives of countless people around the globe we also need to remember to always strive to protect those who make projects like it possible and you know speaking of possible today's episode is made possible by the world's largest online learning community for creatives skillshare recently I've been watching their learning path
Entitled go from idea to finished animation as a beginner you know to get a better understanding of all the Fantastic work our extra history artists and animators create and now I'm picking up on things I hadn't gleaned in all of my years of show running this Channel and I'm able to talk to my team more clearly and efficiently because I cannot stress this enough it is so important in the Creator economy or anywhere really to always be learning new skills and skillshare the largest online learning community for creatives with thousands of classes led by industry experts across film illustration design freelance and productivity is just the best place for that, for instance, say you want to learn how to more effectively Market your ideas well they got you covered maybe you want to up your photography game well they got tons of classes to learn from there as well heck perhaps you
Want to just get out of your comfort zone but know still be pretty comfy in that case they have relaxing courses like learning to crochet to scratch that creative there is just so much you can learn from Skillshare and right now is the best time to get started because the first 500 people who use our Link in the description will receive a one Monon free trial of skillshare bam so to start learning a new skill today again for free click here and then once you've leveled up come on back and check out another of our videos here a legendary thanks to kuak Koy Joseph blame Izzy coin Hunter Z Dominic Valenciana early games and Angelo Valenciana for being fantastic legendary patrons
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Background & Setting | October 1849, New York Harbor; rush to head West to California due to Gold Rush; steamship route was chosen over the arduous overland journey; cost $400, a 40-day trip via Panama with challenges including diseases, wildlife, and mule travel. |
| Need for Transcontinental Link | Congress agreed in 1847 on the necessity of a railroad; the first tracks were laid 16 years later; in 1869 first train trip from Council Bluffs to Sacramento. |
| Sea Route via Panama | Ships from New York or New Orleans to Panama; cross rivers and mountains by boat and mule; described as muddy, with poor accommodations, and rife with deadly diseases like cholera and malaria; perilous conditions. |
| William H. Aspinwall's Initiative | Wealthy and influential figure; experienced in shipping with fastest ships; saw opportunity amidst Gold Rush to provide faster route; faced competition from Cornelius Vanderbilt's Nicaragua route. |
| Panama Railroad Project | Founded in 1850 with $1 million in funding; faced daunting challenges including swampy conditions, alligators, malaria, and logistical difficulties like lack of port; laborers from around the world hired, including indentured Chinese laborers; grueling work conditions, high mortality rates among workers due to disease and harsh conditions. |
| Critical Breakthrough | 1851: Hurricane shelter for paddle steamers Georgia and Philadelphia; utilized existing 8 miles of railroad to expedite passenger movement; pivotal moment for Aspinwall's project, leading to immediate orders for passenger carriages from the US. |
| Completion & Impact | Completed January 1855; total cost $8 million (equivalent to over $280 million today); over 6,000 worker deaths during construction; reduced travel time from Atlantic to Pacific from 8 days to 4 hours; significant in facilitating quicker travel and shipment of goods (e.g., $60 million in gold annually); vital trade route until Panama Canal's opening in 1914. |
| Legacy & Historical Significance | Connected East Coast to the Pacific Ocean; facilitated trade in commodities like whale oil, coffee, and silver; pivotal in global commerce until Panama Canal's construction; symbolized 19th-century efforts to overcome geographic barriers; recognized for its role in improving global connectivity and commerce. |
| Human Cost & Labor Conditions | With high mortality rates and harsh working conditions; the project symbolized ambition and progress but also highlighted the human toll of such endeavors; sparking advancements in labor laws and rights in subsequent decades. |
| Skillshare Sponsorship | Skillshare sponsorship highlighted the relevance of continuous learning in modern times; emphasized the benefits of online learning for creativity and skill development; and offered of free trial to encourage learning new skills. |
FAQS about the Panama Railroad and the 1849 Gold Rush
What was the Panama Railroad?
The Panama Railroad was a crucial transportation route completed in 1855 that connected the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the isthmus of Panama. It provided a faster and more reliable alternative to the treacherous overland routes and helped facilitate the California Gold Rush.
Why was the Panama Railroad built?
The railroad was built to meet the demand of thousands of people heading west during the California Gold Rush. It offered a quicker and safer route compared to the long and hazardous journey overland or around Cape Horn.
Who built the Panama Railroad?
The Panama Railroad was spearheaded by William H. Aspinwall, a prominent shipping magnate and businessman. He recognized the opportunity to expedite travel and cargo transport between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts amidst the Gold Rush fever.
How long did it take to build the Panama Railroad?
Construction of the Panama Railroad began in 1850 and was completed in January 1855. Despite facing daunting challenges such as disease, challenging terrain, and financial setbacks, the railroad was finished in less than five years.
What were the challenges faced during the construction?
Workers building the Panama Railroad faced severe challenges including deadly diseases like cholera and malaria, hostile wildlife, and harsh tropical conditions. The terrain was difficult, requiring extensive excavation and engineering to overcome natural obstacles.
How did the completion of the Panama Railroad impact trade and travel?
The completion of the Panama Railroad revolutionized travel and trade by significantly reducing the time it took to travel between the East Coast of the United States and California. It facilitated the rapid movement of passengers, goods, and gold, making it a pivotal link in global commerce until the construction of the Panama Canal.
What was the significance of the Panama Railroad during the Gold Rush?
During the Gold Rush era, the Panama Railroad provided a vital connection for fortune seekers traveling between the East Coast and California. It expedited the journey, enabling thousands to reach the goldfields faster and safer than previous routes.
How did the Panama Railroad contribute to global trade?
Beyond the Gold Rush, the Panama Railroad facilitated trade between the East Coast of the United States and Pacific nations. It transported commodities such as coffee, silver, and textiles, boosting international commerce and connectivity.
What legacy did the Panama Railroad leave?
The Panama Railroad's legacy includes its role in shaping global transportation networks and facilitating economic growth in the Americas. It set precedents for future infrastructure projects and highlighted the human costs and challenges associated with large-scale engineering endeavors.
How did the Panama Railroad compare to other transportation options of its time?
Before the Panama Railroad, travelers heading to California had limited and dangerous options, such as the overland journey or lengthy sea voyages around South America. The railroad provided a faster and more reliable alternative, marking a significant advancement in global transportation history.