A French diplomat and engineer, Lesseps conceived the idea of the Suez Canal while serving in Egypt. He supervised the construction and achieved world renown for the project. In 1878, he became president of the company formed to construct the Panama Canal, but lack of funds forced the project into bankruptcy amid charges of corruption. He was brought to trial for misappropriation of funds and sentenced to prison but was later cleared. What monument did Lesseps present to the US in 1884? Discuss