Hoover Dam
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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 great
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ad thousands of laborers who came to this lonely canyon coped with the terrible heat, the unforgiving rock, the dangers they faced at every turn? What had it been like to work and live in this inhospitable landscape during the 1930s?
(Stevens viii)
The era in which the Hoover dam was built still retains a sense of exploration, adventure and a pioneering spirit, particularly where the West was concerned. Whether it was financial investors who had made money growing oranges through irrigation, government officials who were challenged by the largest public works project ever, or the workers, engineers and others who were determined to make their presence felt in nature. Just like the Panama Canal the construction of the dam had to be achieved in a harsh, inaccessible location. Also like the canal, many workers lost their lives, one frustration and disappointment after another arose, and human ingenuity was called upon time and again to surmount the challenges of nature through new technologies. Also like the Panama Canal, the Hoover dam was not built in a linear fashion, from conception to completion. Instead, it was beset by political negotiations, differences between moneyed interests, and myriad challenges and disappo
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Approximate Word count = 1673
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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