Not since the construction of the Panama Canal, had Americans and the American government been involved in such a momentous public works project as that represented by the construction of the Hoover Dam. The Great Depression had caused fear and insecurity among Americans and had cast some doubt on the ability of the U.S. Government to protect the interests of its people. Along with this historical scenario, the building of the Hoover Dam also coincided with the mindset of industrialism, an era when new technology and the capabilities they lent to man enabled man to have a great degree of control over the environment. The third trend or historical phenomenon that influenced the construction of the Hoover Dam was the rise in modernism in art and architecture. After years of testing and research, the Boulder Dam Association published a booklet entitled “The Federal Government’s Colorado River Project.” The booklet outlined the plans for building Boulder Dam (which would eventually become Hoover Dam). Hoover Dam: An American Adventure, by Joseph E. Stevens, is an entertaining and in-depth account of the construction of Hoover Dam, including what it meant to the government, the people and those who had a material interest in its construction. This analysis will cover some of the challenges and hazards (political, physical and economical) that presented themselves during the construction of what is generally recognized as one of man’s greatest monuments to himself in the modern world. The main premise of this analysis is that the construction of the dam was more a product of its era than merely a public works project.
The Hoover Dam was not built without a great deal of controversy between those in favor of and those opposed to its construction. The dam was built between 1931 and 1936,and, as Stevens points out it was more than a dam or a public works project; it was a symbol of American civilization and of the achievemen...