Panama

To Canal or not to Canal

PANAMA CANAL

American Involvement• Roosevelt negotiated for canal with

Colombian diplomats.• Colombian agent signed treaty that

gave canal for $10 million – Colombian senate outraged, and

refused to ratify• Roosevelt planned to organize and

finance revolution • Received help from French Co. (Banau-

Varilla)– Roosevelt prevented Columbia from

suppressing rebellion • US recognized Panama as a country

– New government agreed to US terms• Canal finished in 1914

United States Motives & Justifications

Motives• Needed easier passage

over oceans• Easier contact with

Eastern World• Improved Naval Mobility• Simpler Trade Routes

Justifications• US was expanding• “Mandate from

Civilization”• Colombia wronged US by

prohibiting advancement• Would help Panama’s

economy

- Justifications had no foundation- Motives were apparent

Reaction of Local Population

• Colombians were inconsolably and unimaginably outraged.

• Panama was happy with independence

• Panama content to grant US usage of canal

Final Results

• US has secure passage from Atlantic to Pacific

• Colombians and the rest of South America distrust the US

• Imperialism in US continues to grow

• Europe and the world frown on the US as the “Big Brother”

The United States: A Mafia Don

• US gave Panama independence for access to Panama Canal

• US offered to build canal and give it to Panama to access

• The US helped forcefully take Colombian land for personal gain

US Actions: Beneficial or Detrimental?• Beneficial to US

- Improved Naval Mobility- Open Route to Trade with East- Sailing around South America not

necessary• Detrimental

- Portrayed US in a negative way- “Big Brother” Imperialism evident- Relations with South America strained- Colombian power weakened

Works Cited• Brown, Sharen. "The Panama Canal." Institute of International Studies: Latin

America Semester. Institute of International Studies of Missouri Southern State College, 6 Jan. 1999. Web. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.mssu.edu/international/Latinam/canal.htm>.

• Holmgren, Chuck. "The Panama Canal." Panama-Pacific International Exposition. University of Virginia American Studies Program, 2002. Web. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://xroads.virginia.edu/%7EMA03/ holmgren/ppie/pc.html>.

• "The Panama Canal." Global Perspectives. Wheeling Jesuit University Center for Educational Technologies, 2002. Web. 8 Oct. 2010. <http://www.cotf.edu/earthinfo/camerica/panama/ PCtopic3.html>.