The Panama Canal Part - 10

The Panama Canal Part 10

I wanted to read about the Panama Canal because it’s my aunt’s dream to take a cruise on the Panama Canal, before she dies, and she bought me a book for my 25th Birthday on that topic.  The Panama Canal is one of the most amazing and important pieces of construction ever built- the Panama Canal was built in 1914, however, there was some controversy’s related to the Panama Canal, opening it up to enemies, or other workers.

The Panama Canal was built right after a major Columbian Civil War, the Panama Canal was a threat to the importance of South Americans sovereignty, and the elections between 1903-1904 were critical to the Future of the American Continent. The Civil War in Columbia was due to a multiple country protest the Columbian protest who didn’t want to be sold out to America.  The very early 1900’s were important to South American power and the election of Theodore Roosevelt was devastating.

Columbia had a major civil war and was fighting of United States influence. The country of Columbia was in a massive civil war: “Since October 1899, Columbia had been in the throes of its longest and most devastating civil war since independence eighty years before. The “War of a Thousand Days,” fought between Conservative Jose Manuel Marroquin.” (Parker 219.) The civil war was to fight the United States influence over Columbia’s country and their Dictator Jose was so unpopular that countries in other nearby countries joined the protests and wrote articles attacking him. They were against the selling of Panama. The South Americans viewed the British and Germans as possible allies to build the Canal instead of the United States and France.

            The Panama Canal was a threat to the importance of South Americans sovereignty and independence so they fought the building of the Panama Canal by, “The deal was an example of Yankee Imperialism; there was still hope of a European Country, Britain or Germany, riding to the rescue to build the canal; Morgan’s comments in the U.S. Senate debate about “depraved, Priest ridden- people” International police power.”(Parker 223.) The canal needed 5+10 million dollars of funding to advance the Panama Canal project. The elections between 1903-1904 were heavy elections that were crucial to the outcomes of the South American Government.  

The elections in the Americas between 1900-1904 developed South America and they called the negotiations foolish, homicidal, and corrupt. Roosevelt’s election was a major defeat for the South Americans who wanted a weaker United States and a more independent South America. In 1903 the United States sent spies into Panama to scout out and learn more about the area around the Panama Canal for military, economic and political reasons.

The time period right before the beginning of the Panama Canal was important to the foundation of American Naval, and Military power in the West and East. Columbia was the center of a multiple country protest to not sell Columbia out to the Americans. They wanted the British or the Germans to build the Panama Canal instead. America was not liked in South America due to being a new colonial power and they wanted Britain or Germany instead.