How did America build the Panama Canal?

Answer 1

The French were the first to try and build a canal across South America, starting in 1882. Before they could start work, they needed to secure a concession from the Columbian government, which controlled Panama at that time. However, their project failed, thousands of workers died (mainly from disease,) and the company went bankrupt six years later, in 1888. A Frenchman named Philippe Bunau-Varilla managed to keep the effort from collapsing entirely, and looked for another party to take up the concession. The United States, which was also interested in building a canal, negotiated to buy the concession from the French. However, Columbia refused the sale.

Meanwhile, nationalism was stirring in Panama. An agreement was made with the US government that if the US would help Panama gain their independence, they would allow the canal to be built. In 1903, Panama became its own country, and the United States immediately recognized the new government. Columbia sent troops to reclaim Panama, but US warships prevented them from landing.

After the United States helped Panama win its independence, a treaty was immediately negotiated to allow the US to build a canal. The treaty granted considerably more to the US then the failed agreement with Columbia had, including rights to use military within Panama and US control of the Canal Zone in perpetuity. In essence, the Canal Zone would be part of the US in all but name. However, the man who signed for the Panamanians, the Frenchman Bunau-Varilla, was not part of the official delegation from the new Panamanian government, and some Panamanians felt that the rights granted to the US in the treaty were excessive.

Answer 2

The red tigers hopped the fence and the giant purple men made a big hole in the ground, thus, a large earth quake and a reasonable sized hole. King Who-Chi heard about this event and got very angry. He started a revolt with the 5-horned-KEELOWS against all the leg-less graffs and...... someone wanna finsh?

Answer 3

In 1902 U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt decided to take on the abandoned works of the Panama Canal that had been started by the French, but the Colombian government in Bogotá balked at the prospect of a U.S. controlled canal under the terms that Roosevelt's administration was offering. Roosevelt was unwilling to alter his terms and quickly changed tactics, encouraging a minority of Conservative Panamanian landholding families to demand independence, offering military support. The declaration of independence was written by Carlos Antonio Mendoza, and on November 3, 1903, Panama finally separated, and Dr. Manuel Amador Guerrero, a prominent member of the Conservative political party, became the first constitutional President of the Republic of Panama. The U.S., which had a small naval force in the area, prevented the Colombians from sending reinforcements by sea, aiding the Panamanians. In November 1903, Phillipe Bunau-Varilla -- a French citizen who was not authorized to sign any treaties on behalf of Panama without the review of the Panamanians - unilaterally signed the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty which granted rights to the U.S. to build and administer, indefinitely, the Panama Canal, which was opened in 1914. This treaty became a contentious diplomatic issue between the two countries, reaching a boiling point on Martyr's Day (9 January 1964). The issues were resolved with the signing of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties in 1977 returning the former Canal Zone territories to Panama. The U.S. controlled the Panama Canal until 1999.

Answer 4

Following the French failure in cooperation with Colombia (1880-1893), the US committed many more resources to the project. In the interim between the attempts, there were important improvements in medicine, notably the confirmation of mosquitoes as vectors for yellow fever and malaria. Still, nearly 5600 workers died during US construction from 1904 to 1914. The US successfully implemented the independence of Panama in 1903 in furtherance of the project.

Basically, the United States had a much greater national interest to connect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, much as the Transcontinental Railroad had linked the coasts in 1869.

Answer 5

They Built the panama Canal.

Answer 6

They fought for it.

Answer 7

they dug it out with shovels.

Answer 8

They've got it after they got coronavirus

Answer 9

French