Final answer:
France made the first attempt to build the Panama Canal but failed due to engineering challenges and health crises. The US completed the canal after taking over the project, with significant improvements in health and infrastructural planning leading to its success.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first attempt to build the Panama Canal was made by France in the late 19th century. The French, under the leadership of Ferdinand de Lesseps who had successfully built the Suez Canal, faced insurmountable engineering problems and devastating health issues among the workers, such as yellow fever and malaria. Tropical conditions and financial difficulties further compounded their efforts, leading to what was considered an Epic Fail, with the loss of tens of thousands of lives and a financial disaster that ended the project in eight years.
The United States took over the project in the early 20th century after helping Panama gain independence from Colombia, buying out the French canal company, and negotiating for the land rights. The US faced its own challenges, but made significant advances in disease prevention and infrastructure, which were overlooked by the French. Colonel George Washington Goethals, the chief engineer, and Dr. William Gorgas, who tackled tropical diseases, were instrumental in the ultimate success of the canal's construction. The canal was completed in 1914, a few years after the US had begun the construction, changing global trade and military defense patterns forever.