Building with Explosives: The Role of Dynamite in Constructing the Panama Canal

Abstract

My paper examines how technology, specifically dynamite, impacted the construction of the Panama Canal and what it meant for the labor force. I argue that the there is a deeper story than what is known about the canal's relationship to dynamite. The project's mass use of dynamite forced a better scientific understanding of explosives in general, as well as innovation and safety measures for efficiency. I also found primary sources of explosion incidents to show how dynamite served as a lens to understand the differing experiences of the labor force and the dangers of building the canal. Overall, the canal was an engineering phenomenon for the time, and also revealed a complex intersection between technology and labor history.