Opening of Suez Canal, 1869

Arrival of the steamship L'Aigle, with the Empress Eugenie, at the station of El-Guishr, Suez Canal. In 1854 and 1856, Ferdinand de Lesseps obtained a concession from Sa'id Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan, to create a company to construct a canal open to ships of all nations. The company was to operate the canal for 99 years from its opening. The excavation took some 10 years using forced labor of Egyptian workers during the first years. Some sources estimate that over 30, 000 people were working on the canal at any given period, that more than 1.5 million people from various countries were employed, and that thousands of laborers died. The canal opened under French control on 17 November 1869. Although numerous technical, political, and financial problems had been overcome, the final cost was more than double the original estimate. The canal had an immediate and dramatic effect on world trade and it played an important role in increasing European colonization of Africa. Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, January 1, 1870

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1869 Ceremonies Conveyance Human-made Inauguration Leslies Man-made Sailboat Suez Weekly

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