In the final installment of our Panama Canal series, History for Cocktail Parties traces the disastrous opening chapter of America’s canal campaign. Tropical diseases, political missteps, and sheer stubbornness nearly doomed the United States to repeat the French failure. But under Teddy Roosevelt’s leadership, a new team of engineers and visionaries stepped in to change the course of history. William Gorgas conquered yellow fever and malaria, John Stevens reshaped the construction strategy, and the locks system became the key to success. It’s the story of how near disaster turned into one of America’s greatest engineering triumphs—and a legacy that still shapes global trade today.