Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How were Egyptian peasants used during the early construction of the Suez Canal?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Suez Canal
Ships in the Suez Canal in Egypt. One of the world's most important shipping lanes, the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
During the early stages of the Suez Canal construction, Egyptian peasants were drafted as forced labor to perform the initial excavation work. This manual labor was primarily conducted using basic tools, specifically picks and baskets.1
This reliance on forced labor eventually shifted as the project progressed. Over time, the use of manual labor was superseded by the introduction of dredgers and steam shovels operated by European laborers, as dredging proved to be a more cost-effective method than dry excavation.1