Five factors that spurred industrial growth in the late 1800's are Abundant natural resources (coal, iron, oil); Abundant labor supply; Railroads; Labor saving technological advances (new patents) and Pro-Business government policies.
I think it is Gilbert Maxent a well connect merchant from New Orleans.
France first attempted to build the canal in the 1870s. He left quite a few diseases and financial problems behind. Ferdinand de Lessups was the engineer who designed the Suez Canal.
