TED Ed (Animated) - Demolition, disease, and death: Building the Panama Canal, 27042021

In the 19th century, the California gold rush brought thousands of settlers to America's west coast. But finding gold may have been easier than transporting it back east. The only hope for avoiding a grueling six month wagon journey was to travel the narrowest portion of the continent — the 48-kilometre Isthmus of Panama. Alex Gendler details the creation of the Panama Canal.