The Suez Canal opened after a decade of construction, creating an artificial waterway connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas and allowing ships to travel between Europe and Asia without sailing around Africa. The canal was built by the Suez Canal Company under French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps, using substantial Egyptian forced and paid labor, and shortened the voyage between Europe and India by thousands of miles. It favored steamships over sailing ships, since steamers could reliably navigate the canal's calm waters while sailing vessels often could not. Britain later acquired a controlling financial interest in the canal because of its importance to trade and communication with India.
Relevance to Trade History
Shortened the sea route between Europe and Asia dramatically, accelerating the shift to steam-powered shipping and reshaping global maritime trade patterns.
Read the full story in our article The Suez Canal and the Shortcut to Asia.
Source: World History Encyclopedia. See our Sources & Methodology page for how we select and verify references.