Answer:
The nation that had tried to build a canal prior to the United States was France.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first attempt at construction of the Panama Canal began in 1880, under the French impulse of Ferdinand de Lesseps, thanks to a collection of giant fund on the Paris Stock Exchange. After the failure of this attempt, the work was finished by the United States under the leadership of George Washington Goethals, and the canal opened on August 15, 1914. The construction of the 77 kilometers of the canal was strewn with diseases like malaria and yellow fever, and problems like landslides. The number of workers who died of illness during construction was estimated at several thousand.
Since its opening, the canal has been a huge success and continues to be a strategic crossing point for navigation. Each year, it is used by more than 14,000 ships carrying more than 203 million tonnes of cargo.