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Can someone explain for me why the ship was sailing from Panama? My best guess is that it was easiest to sail down the west coast, cross the land at Panama whe
by Smoosh 5y ago
Can someone explain for me why the ship was sailing from Panama?
My best guess is that it was easiest to sail down the west coast, cross the land at Panama where it is relatively narrow, then take another ship north up the east coast.
I wasn't aware that was a common route, had just assumed that people crossed the continent.
- nkurz 5y agoI wasn't aware either, but your guess appears to be correct: "Between 1848 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, the principal mode of transportation between California and the east coast of the United States was to travel by steamer from San Francisco to the west coast of Panama, cross the isthmus by train, and take a steamship to New York." http://www.columbia.edu/~dj114/SS_Central_America.pdf http://www.columbia.edu/~dj114/SS_Central_America.pdf