Question

Which of the following describes the man who first tried to build a canal in Panama?
a. He was the French-born builder of the Suez Canal.
b. He was an American sent to Panama by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
c. He was a British engineer determined to increase the reach of the British Empire.
d. He was a Colombian general determined to keep Panama as part of his country.

Answer 1

I am pretty sure it is A, His name was  Ferdinand de Lesseps. 

Answer 2

Answer:

a. He was the French-born builder of the Suez Canal.

Explanation:

Fernando de Lesseps (Versailles, France, November 19, 1805-La Chênaie, Indre, France, December 7, 1894) was a French career diplomat and businessman.

Encouraged by the success and fame he gained with the construction and inauguration of the Suez Canal, he envisaged another great project in accordance with his progressive ideas: the construction of an interoceanic canal that would unite the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Since the sixteenth century, several countries were interested in building a waterway in Central America, and during the period in which the project was consolidated, the United States and England were disputing the idea, seeking multiple alternative routes to obtain a commercial advantage. This resulted in two predefined routes: Nicaragua and Panama.