Pushkin+ Exclusive: Roosevelt and the Renegade (Panama Disaster 2)

To listen to this series and receive access to other benefits like ad-free episodes, exclusive content and early access, sign up for Pushkin+ on our Apple show page or at pushkin.fm. Sixteen years have passed since Ferdinand De Lesseps' catastrophic failure in Panama and the dramatic collapse of the French Panama Canal company. Now, President Theodore Roosevelt has picked up the task. “No single great material work,” Roosevelt tells Congress, “is of such consequence to the American people.” The Americans have their work cut out. Enter chief engineer John Stevens. How does he spot a problem no-one else has noticed? And what does he do to solve it? For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com.