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Mules, Fuels, and Fusion: Energy, Entropy, and the Crossing of the Panamanian Transit Zone, 1848-1990

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Mules, Fuels, and Fusion: Energy, Entropy, and the Crossing of the Panamanian Transit Zone, 1848-1990 University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Spring 2019 MULES, FUELS, AND FUSION: ENERGY, ENTROPY, AND THE CROSSING OF THE PANAMANIAN TRANSIT ZONE, 1848-1990 Jordan T. Coulombe University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation Coulombe, Jordan T., "MULES, FUELS, AND FUSION: ENERGY, ENTROPY, AND THE CROSSING OF THE PANAMANIAN TRANSIT ZONE, 1848-1990" (2019). Doctoral Dissertations. 2441. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/2441 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MULES, FUELS, AND FUSION: ENERGY, ENTROPY, AND THE CROSSING OF THE PANAMANIAN TRANSIT ZONE, 1848-1990 BY JORDAN T. COULOMBE B.A., Emmanuel College, 2012 M.A., University of Rhode Island, 2014 DISSERTATION Submitted to the University of New Hampshire in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History May, 2019 This dissertation was examined and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History by: Dissertation Director, Kurk Dorsey, Department Chair and Professor of History, University of New Hampshire Fredrik Meiton, Assistant Professor of History, University of New Hampshire Jessica M. Lepler, Associate Professor of History, University of New Hampshire Paul S. Sutter, Department Chair and Professor of History, University of Colorado at Boulder Christine Keiner, Associate Professor of Science, Technology, and Society, Rochester Institute of Technology On April 3, 2019 Approval signatures are on file with the University of New Hampshire Graduate School. ii To Mom, Dad, and Lydia: You’ve been with me on this journey the longest, and throughout it all you’ve provided constant love, insight, and support. Thanks for keeping my entropy at bay. iii Acknowledgements Writing a dissertation isn’t about being smart, it’s about being persistent. Or at least that’s what some very smart people have told me. I’ve only been able to be persistent thanks to the remarkable levels of support that I’ve received from countless people. I firmly believe that any endeavor worth pursuing takes a village to realize, and I’ve been fortunate to say that the village behind this project consists of some truly exceptional people that I consider myself blessed to know and to have worked with. The history department at UNH is a special place. In addition to being remarkably talented scholars, our faculty consists of skilled teachers who genuinely care about the wellbeing of their students. This is a rare quality and one which has made my journey considerably easier. We are also fortunate to have two amazing administrators, Lara and Laura. I’m 90% certain that without them Horton Hall would simply collapse. Of all the people I’ve had the chance to work with at UNH however, no one has had as substantial an impact on my intellectual and personal growth as Kurk Dorsey. Kurk’s humor, encouragement, and intellect have shaped the way I think and the way I write, and it’s with the utmost sincerity that I say I hope that I can be half the scholar, mentor, and person that he is, although perhaps with a slightly higher free throw percentage. I owe Jeff Bolster a debt that I can never repay. Jeff is an incredibly talented writer and has played in integral role in making me a passable writer. Jeff graciously agreed to read chapters of this dissertation and for those truly engaging and exciting moments you can feel free to thank Jeff. I also need to thank the other members of my dissertation committee: iv Fredrik Meiton, Jessica Lepler, Paul S. Sutter, and Christine Keiner. Fred has been generous with his time and has greatly contributed to my understanding of the concept of energy. Fred’s knowledge of theory is remarkable and his input on this project has helped put it on more solid ground. In addition, Fred has shared his experiences as a young career scholar and has given guidance and advice that have proven tremendously valuable to my academic growth. Jess Lepler’s generosity with her students is only matched by her towering intellect, and I’m grateful that she took the time to provide feedback on this project. The economic and social perspectives in this project are a direct result of her input. How Paul Sutter had the time to serve on my committee amongst his other demands I don’t know, but from the moment he joined the committee he has provided some of the most important guidance on its development. Paul’s knowledge of Panama’s environmental history speaks for itself and this project is infinitely better thanks to his involvement. Finally, Christine Keiner may be the MVP of my committee. Christine was gracious enough to join the committee at the last minute and shared some remarkable insight. As one of the foremost historians of Panama’s environmental history, Christine provided invaluable insight into this project. It is not an exaggeration to say that I could not have completed this project without her. This project also owes its existence to generous funding from a variety of sources. Research trips to locations as far away as Panama were only possible thanks to their support. The Graduate School at the University of New Hampshire constantly strives to find sources of funding for its students and I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of both two years of summer support as well as the Dissertation Year Fellowship. These funds proved invaluable to my writing and provided the support for several research trips. Using funds from the Steelman v History Fellowship allowed me to conduct research in Panama which was a tremendous experience and greatly augmented my understanding of the Canal. Trips to the National Archives were conducted thanks to the support of the Angelo Kontarinis History Fund, the Chesley Family Fund, and the Nguyen Family Fund. The financial support that this project received is exceptional, and without the ability to conduct research trips and focus exclusively on writing this project would not encompass the scope, nor the depth that it currently does. Writing and research can be a draining and at times imposing task, and for helping me keep my sanity and good humor during this project I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my fantastic cohort in the UNH graduate program. Without your good cheer, humor, kindness, and insight I likely would have gone crazy ages ago. While there are far too many people to list individually, I would like to recognize Amanda Demmer for her continued friendship and mentorship. Amanda is a remarkable historian and carved out a path at UNH for the rest of us to follow. For those times that I had to take a break from history I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by friends who showed interest in my project, but also kept me grounded and provided perspective. Sometimes the best thing a historian can hear is that there is more to life than history. My friends have always kept me cognizant of that fact and their perspective and friendship has allowed this project to come to fruition. To my family, there is nothing that I can say to truly sum up the scope of your contribution. Mom and Dad, thank you from the bottom of my heart for raising me with love, kindness, humor, and generosity. You instilled in me a love of learning from a young age and while I didn’t wind up being a paleontologist, I think the lessons I learned in The Big Book of Dinosaurs are still shaping the curiosity and interest with which I view the world today. You two vi more than any others are to thank for this project. Lydia, you’ve constantly kept me grounded and laughing throughout the years. Thanks for never letting me take myself too seriously and providing me with numerous distractions when I need them. Thanks to the numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins who have shown interest (or at least feigned interest) in this project. I wouldn’t be who I am without my big, loud, and loving family. Finally, Grammy, Grampy, Bumpa, and Granny, you’ve showered me with love and kindness and instilled in me a love of stories. I love you all more than I can put into words and this labor of love wouldn’t have been possible without you. Finally, I must thank my new family. Dave and Mary, thank you for welcoming me into the Cronin Clan and providing so much support over the last few years. Most importantly, I must thank the love of my life, Nora. No one has been as close to this project as Nora has. She has celebrated the highs with me and supported me through the challenges. Nora, it would not be an exaggeration to say that you deserve just as much credit for this project as I do. And yet through it all you have shown me nothing but kindness, love, humor, and generosity. You are my rock, and no matter what has happened you’ve kept me grounded, laughing, and happy. Thank you for being my partner on this journey. I love you with everything that I have to give. vii Table of Contents Signature Page: ......................................................................................................................................... ii Dedication: ..............................................................................................................................................
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