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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Thousands of articles create popular view of Canal Zone life, but make no mention of blacks, so government inspectors and fact-finders are amazed to see the entire project depends on what?

2. What is the main issue impeding fumigation in U.S. facilities?

3. When does the Pacific fleet pass through the Panama Canal relative to Theodore Roosevelt's death, and does he view it?

4. The ICC's new Chairman, Theodore Perry Shonts, is best described how?

5. The great dam at Gatun, that is 15 times wider at the base than it is high, is how difficult to construct?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is it about May 4, 1904, that makes it a significant date in the history of the Canal Zone?

2. Which of the three presidents that the Panama Canal is built under is most crucial to it?

3. What are some of the critical points of the Hay- Herran Treaty ratified by the Senate 73-5 on March 17, 1903?

4. How is it the U.S. must come to grips with Article 35 of the Bidack Treaty in regard to Panama?

5. What is occurring during the initial stage of U.S. efforts in Panama that culminates in a 1905 event?

6. What is the design of the largest moving part of the canal system?

7. George Washington Goethals did not have the easy way with people as his predecessor John Stevens did, so what steps did he take for effective leadership?

8. What became of Phillippee Banau-Varilla?

9. What critical event can be associated with Theodore Roosevelt and the date of January 4, 1904?

10. What would be an accurate description of John Stevens, the second chief engineer in Panama?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

David McCullough notes in his initial chapter that all early 19th-century canal plans are preposterous. Every survey is flawed due to assumptions and inaccurate data. Yet the Suez Canal was successfully opening on November 1869, after ten years of construction. It is twice as long as the Panama Canal, which did not open until 1914. Actual work on the Panama did not start until 1880, a decade following the Suez opening. Central America afforded at least 19 possible locations to select from. Explain what causes so many problems in constructing the Panama Canal. What took so long? Why was there such a lengthy battle in Washington? What caused the loss of so many lives?

Essay Topic 2

When the seven-headed ICC is replaced with a three-member version, it is chaired by Theodore Perry Shonts. How effective is the ICC's new chairman? What actions does he take to ensure success? Does he abide by the rules? What successes does he achieve? What failures does he encounter?

Essay Topic 3

The author notes that, despite Theodore Roosevelt's opinion to the contrary, he comes out having played a minor part in Panama's revolution. Is there any evidence of collusion or master strategy in the White House? How much knowledge does the President have as the plot unfolds? Is the President correct in his view that the Colombian position regarding the treaty is nothing but a "holdup"? Could an amicable solution have been achieved in a reasonable time period? What of the position that Roosevelt's "most important action" ensures Colombia will be financially destroyed, being stripped of what is most valuable to it?

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