Read this post from a blog documenting the history of West Indians (people from the Caribbean islands). The blog post discusses several of the issues faced by workers during the construction of the Panama Canal. Write a short journal entry from the point of view of one of the West Indian workers detailing the dangers they faced during the construction of one of the most pivotal man made structures in the world.
Dear Journal
Arriving in Panama, with numbers. Many of my friends where scared of death. I was not, if i was going to die i was going down with a fight. I would try my hardest to get the job home and return home. I knew that the most common ways to die were Malaria and yellow fever. The only possible thing that could be scaring to me was the heat we had to work in. I was not use to cutting down jungle after jungle for hours on end the dreadful heat. At I was a white man, we had more chance of survival than the black man working in Panama. Even if the black man lived he would be scared for life of the days,weeks, or months working in Panama. At least i wasn't on the bomb team. Chances of team where highly likely because explosions could happen prematurely or early. Most of the bomb teams were black people so i was lucky in that aspect also. Seeing many people die from railroad accidents was horrifying. It was like working to jobs one building the Panama Canal and the other digging holes for bodies.
