{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"428: America's Forgotten Quest to Link Two Oceans","description":"In the 1820s, American entrepreneurs, engineers, and politicians dared to dream big. They believed they could cut a canal, not through Panama, but through the wild, rain-soaked terrain of Nicaragua. Their goal: To link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and transform global trade forever. But what inspired these ambitious &quot;canal dreamers?\u201d And why did they believe Nicaragua held the key to controlling the future of commerce?&amp;nbsp; Jessica Lepler, Associate Professor of History at the University of New Hampshire and author of Canal Dreamers: The Epic Quest to Connect the Atlantic and Pacific in the Age of Revolutions, joins us to explore this nearly forgotten story of innovation, illusion, and international ambition in early American history. Jessica\u2019s Website&amp;nbsp;| Book |  Show Notes:&amp;nbsp;https:\/\/www.benfranklinsworld.com\/428 &amp;nbsp; EPISODE OUTLINE 00:01:00&amp;nbsp; Introduction 00:04:05 Desire to Build a Canal Across Central America 00:08:01 Political Landscape of Central America During the 1820s 00:09:55 Creating a Stable Central American Government 00:11:55 Geography of the Nicaraguan Canal Route 00:16:03 Economic Opportunities of an Interoceanic Canal 00:17:57 Individual vs. State Interest in a Nicaraguan Canal 00:21:58 Why Americans Sought A Private Canal Contract 00:26:44 Information Canal Dreamers Relied On to Build a Canal 00:33:12 Competitive Advantages of American Canal Dreamers 00:35:40 American Surveys of a Central American Canal Route 00:39:12 Influence of the Erie Canal 00:42:32 Why the Nicaraguan Canal Failed 00:44:50 What Canal Dreamers Reveal About the Early United States 0046:40 Overview of the Panama Canal 00:49:50 Time Warp 00:56:00 Conclusion   RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES  \ud83c\udfa7 Episode 028: Building the Erie Canal \ud83c\udfa7 Episode 090: The Age of American Revolutions \ud83c\udfa7 Episode 113: Building the Empire State \ud83c\udfa7 Episode 165: The Age of Revolutions \ud83c\udfa7 Episode 186: The New Map of Empire \ud83c\udfa7 Episode 329: Freemasonry in Early America  SUPPORT OUR WORK \ud83c\udf81&amp;nbsp;Make a Donation to&amp;nbsp;Ben Franklin\u2019s World  REQUEST A TOPIC \ud83d\udce8&amp;nbsp;Topic Request Form \ud83d\udceb&amp;nbsp;liz@benfranklinsworld.com   WHEN YOU'RE READY \ud83d\uddde\ufe0f&amp;nbsp;BFW Gazette Newsletter&amp;nbsp; \ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83d\udcbb&amp;nbsp;Join the BFW Listener Community \ud83c\udf0d&amp;nbsp;Join the History Explorers Club  LISTEN \ud83c\udfa7 \ud83c\udf4e&amp;nbsp;Apple Podcasts&amp;nbsp; \ud83d\udc9a&amp;nbsp;Spotify&amp;nbsp;  \ud83c\udfb6&amp;nbsp;Amazon Music \ud83d\udedc Pandora  CONNECT \ud83e\udd8b&amp;nbsp;Liz on Bluesky \ud83d\udc69\u200d\ud83d\udcbb&amp;nbsp;Liz on LinkedIn \ud83d\udedc&amp;nbsp;Liz\u2019s Website  SAY THANKS \ud83d\udc9c&amp;nbsp;Leave a review on Apple Podcasts \ud83d\udc9a&amp;nbsp;Leave a rating on Spotify  *Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast. ","author_name":"Ben Franklin's World","author_url":"http:\/\/www.benfranklinsworld.com","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/39238530\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/196097545"}