The construction of the Panama Canal by the U.S. was one of the most spectacular events of the early 20th century. Working men and women traveled from all over the world to labor on the project, as many as 45,000 at a time. They faced many dangers, the risk of death from disease or accidents. The US created a system of racial segregation and draconian policies to manage labor but workers found ways to resist. Students willstudy the labor, race, and gender history of the canal's construction and will research and write a paper based upon original primary source research, using resources available online and at the National Archives.