ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the living and working conditions of the laborers that worked in Panama at the time of the large construction projects and assess their efforts to offer a collective response to these conditions. It emphasizes how the split between native and foreign-born workers in the laboring class hindered nearly all efforts at collective action and show the pervasive role played by the confluence of interests between the Panamanian upper classes and United States power in repressing the labor movement. The chapter focuses on the growth and development of the port cities at each end of the isthmian passageway in relation to the changes brought about by the demands for labor created by the construction projects. Many laborers came to seek employment during the construction of the railroad and the canal. Beyond the racial and cultural differences, another important factor affecting the development of the working class was the economic opportunities afforded each group.
