Jonah Patel
President Theodore Roosevelt's assertive approach to Latin America and the Caribbean, often characterized as Big Stick Diplomacy, played a significant role in the construction of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt, determined to succeed where others had failed, negotiated with Colombia, which controlled Panama at the time, for a lease on the land to build the canal. Despite public outrage in Colombia, Roosevelt wielded the big stick by supporting the Panamanian people in their revolt against Colombia. He sent American battleships to block Colombia from suppressing the uprising, and immediately recognized Panama as an independent country, which became a US protectorate. This strong-arm tactic sent a clear message to the world, especially European leaders, that the US would be the policeman of the Western Hemisphere and that the colonization of the region was over. Construction on the Panama Canal began in 1904, and its completion in 1914 symbolized US technological prowess and economic power, permanently changing world trade and military defense patterns.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for building the Panama Canal | To ship goods quickly and cheaply between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts |
| Who wanted to build the canal | American and British leaders and businessmen |
| Who oversaw the building of the canal | President Theodore Roosevelt |
| What is Big Stick Diplomacy | Roosevelt's assertive approach to Latin America and the Caribbean |
| What was the outcome of Big Stick Diplomacy | The Colombian Senate rejected the treaty and Roosevelt responded by supporting the Panamanian people in revolt against Colombia |
| When was the Panama Canal built | 1903-1914 |
| Who built the Panama Canal | The French began excavating in 1880 but after 9 years and a loss of approximately 20,000 lives, the construction was taken over by the United States |
| What were the challenges faced during the construction | Malaria, yellow fever, and other tropical diseases |
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What You'll Learn
- Roosevelt's Big Stick diplomacy involved an assertive approach to Latin America and the Caribbean
- The US supported Panama's independence from Colombia, which led to the building of the Panama Canal
- The US paid $10 million and an annual fee of $250,000 to lease the land for the canal
- The US established protectorates over Cuba and Panama and managed the Dominican Republic's customs service revenues
- The Panama Canal was a major foreign policy achievement, showcasing US technological prowess and economic power
Roosevelt's Big Stick diplomacy involved an assertive approach to Latin America and the Caribbean
President Theodore Roosevelt's "Big Stick" foreign policy was an assertive approach to Latin America and the Caribbean. It was a policy of interventionism in the region, with the United States acting as its "policeman". This stance was a significant shift from the passive Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which aimed to curb European influence and recolonisation in the Western Hemisphere.
Roosevelt's "Big Stick" diplomacy was clearly evident in the building of the Panama Canal, which was a long-term goal of American leaders and businessmen to facilitate quick and cheap shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The canal's construction was also motivated by military considerations and a desire to showcase American technological prowess and economic power.
Roosevelt negotiated with Colombia, Panama's parent country, for a treaty to lease land in Panama for the canal. However, the Colombian people were outraged over the loss of their land and the low compensation offered. Influenced by public sentiment, the Colombian Senate rejected the treaty.
Undeterred, Roosevelt resorted to his "Big Stick" approach. He publicly supported the Panamanian people's revolt against Colombia and dispatched American battleships to the coasts of Panama City and Colón, preventing Colombian troops from suppressing the uprising. This assertive action led to Panama's independence in 1903 and the establishment of an American protectorate until 1939.
Roosevelt's "Big Stick" diplomacy sent a clear message to European leaders that the colonisation of the Western Hemisphere was over and that interference in the region would no longer be tolerated. This policy, however, strained relations with Latin American countries, as they resented American intervention in their internal affairs.
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The US supported Panama's independence from Colombia, which led to the building of the Panama Canal
The construction of the Panama Canal was a long-term goal of the United States, which sought to quickly and cheaply transport goods between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850 was negotiated with Great Britain to rein in rivalry over a proposed canal through Nicaragua, but the plan never advanced beyond the planning stages.
In 1901, the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty abrogated the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, allowing the United States to build and manage its own canal. The US Senate voted in favour of building the canal through Panama, which was then a province of Colombia. However, the financial terms of the treaty were rejected by Colombia's congress. In response, President Theodore Roosevelt dispatched warships to Panama City and Colón, supporting Panama's independence movement and preventing Colombian troops from crossing the Darién Gap. Panama declared independence on November 3, 1903, and was immediately recognised by the United States.
The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty of 1903 was negotiated between the United States and the newly independent Panama, providing the US with a 10-mile-wide strip of land for the canal, a one-time $10 million payment, and an annual annuity of $250,000. The United States also agreed to guarantee Panama's independence. Construction on the canal began in May 1904, and it was completed in 1914, symbolising American technological prowess and economic power.
The Panama Canal was a significant foreign policy achievement for the United States, but it also led to strained relations with Panama over time. The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was particularly contentious, as it granted the United States extensive rights and control over the Canal Zone, effectively turning it into a foreign colony within Panama. In the following decades, tensions grew, and riots broke out in 1964 over the right to fly the Panamanian flag in the Canal Zone. It wasn't until 1979 that the Canal Zone ceased to exist, and the canal itself was turned over to Panamanian control in 1999.
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The US paid $10 million and an annual fee of $250,000 to lease the land for the canal
The construction of the Panama Canal was a long-term goal of the United States, which sought to ship goods quickly and cheaply between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The US had initially negotiated the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty with Great Britain in 1850 to build a canal through the Central American Republic of Nicaragua, but the plan never materialised.
The US then turned its attention to Panama, which was then a part of Colombia. In 1901, the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty was signed, licensing the US to build and manage its own canal. In 1902, the US Senate voted in favour of the Spooner Act to pursue the Panamanian option. The US negotiated with Colombia, which agreed to a treaty that would grant the US a lease on the land across Panama in exchange for a one-time payment of $10 million and an additional annual rental fee of $250,000. However, the Colombian people were outraged at losing their land, and the Colombian Senate rejected the treaty.
This is where President Roosevelt's "big stick" diplomacy came into play. Roosevelt supported the Panamanian people in their revolt against Colombia, sending American battleships to the coast of Colombia to block its attempts to suppress the uprising. Panama declared its independence in 1903, with US recognition, and immediately accepted the terms of the earlier treaty offered to Colombia. The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty of 1903, negotiated by Philippe Bunau-Varilla, provided the US with a 10-mile-wide strip of land for the canal, the aforementioned one-time payment of $10 million, and an annual annuity of $250,000. The US also agreed to guarantee Panama's independence.
The Panama Canal was completed in 1914, symbolising US technological prowess and economic power. However, US control of the canal eventually strained relations with Panama, and in 1977, two new treaties were signed, calling for a transfer of canal control to Panama in 1999. The canal was officially handed over to Panama in 1999, in accordance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties.
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The US established protectorates over Cuba and Panama and managed the Dominican Republic's customs service revenues
The construction of the Panama Canal between 1903 and 1914 was a significant achievement in US foreign policy and a long-term goal of American and British leaders and businessmen. The US had a vested interest in the construction of the canal, as it wanted to ship goods quickly and cheaply between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
The US established protectorates over Cuba and Panama, and managed the Dominican Republic's customs service revenues. In the case of Cuba, after the War of 1898, Spain relinquished sovereignty over the country to the US and Cuban forces. The US occupied Cuba until 1902, when a new Cuban government took control. However, as a condition of independence, the US included the Platt Amendment, which granted it the right to intervene in Cuban affairs. This amendment was only repealed in 1934, and diplomatic relations were severed in 1961 due to rising tensions with Fidel Castro's government and its increased cooperation with the Soviet Union.
Panama became a protectorate of the US through two provisions. The first was the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty of 1903, which provided the US with a 10-mile-wide strip of land for the canal, a one-time payment of $10 million to Panama, and an annual annuity of $250,000. The second provision granted the US the right to intervene in Panama's domestic affairs in exchange for guaranteeing Panama's independence. This led to friction between the two countries, especially over the interpretation of the rights granted to the US by the treaty.
In the case of the Dominican Republic, the US was involved in the management of its customs service revenues. A report from 1871 estimated the population at 150,000 and the public debt at $1,565,831.59, with total revenues of $772,684.75. The US collected revenues from all the customhouses of the Dominican Republic and delivered at least 45% to the Dominican Government for public service needs. The US also retained a portion of the customs revenues to pay employees of the customhouses and service the Dominican debt.
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The Panama Canal was a major foreign policy achievement, showcasing US technological prowess and economic power
The construction of the Panama Canal was a long-term goal of the United States, which became a reality under President Theodore Roosevelt. The canal was a significant showcase of US technological prowess and economic power, and a major foreign policy achievement.
The Panama Canal was built between 1904 and 1914, and it permanently altered world trade and military defence strategies. The US had a vested interest in the construction of the canal, as it wanted to ship goods quickly and cheaply between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The canal's construction faced several challenges, including the threat of European colonisation in the Western Hemisphere, and the spread of tropical diseases such as malaria and yellow fever.
Roosevelt's "Big Stick" diplomacy was instrumental in acquiring the land required for the canal's construction. He negotiated with Colombia, which controlled Panama at the time, for a lease on the land. However, the Colombian people were outraged over the loss of their land and the low payment offered. The Colombian Senate rejected the treaty, but Roosevelt persisted, supporting the Panamanian people in their revolt against Colombia. He sent American battleships to the coasts of Panama City and Colón, preventing Colombia from suppressing the uprising. This display of power was a characteristic feature of Roosevelt's "Big Stick" diplomacy.
The US also provided engineering expertise, addressing the challenges of previous French attempts, which had failed due to financial and health issues. The Americans introduced fumigation systems and mosquito nets, reducing the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses and boosting morale among workers. They also planned and executed the construction of the canal using steam shovels and other equipment.
The completion of the Panama Canal symbolised US technological and economic power and demonstrated its ability to exert influence in the region. Roosevelt's assertive approach to Latin America and the Caribbean, characterised by his "Big Stick" diplomacy, played a crucial role in the canal's construction and showcase of US power on the world stage.
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Frequently asked questions
The US had been interested in building a canal across the Central American isthmus since the mid-16th century, primarily for trade interests. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 further spurred interest in connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The US negotiated with Colombia, which controlled Panama at the time, to grant the US a lease on the land across Panama. However, the Colombian Senate rejected the treaty due to public outcry over the loss of their land.
President Roosevelt was determined to build the canal and supported the Panamanian people in their revolt against Colombia. He sent American battleships to the coast of Colombia, blocking them from suppressing the Panamanian uprising. Roosevelt immediately recognized Panama as an independent country, which became an American protectorate until 1939. Panama accepted the terms of the treaty that had previously been offered to Colombia, and construction on the canal began in May 1904.
President Roosevelt's assertive approach to Latin America and the Caribbean, known as the "Big Stick," played a significant role in the construction of the Panama Canal. After Colombia rejected the treaty, Roosevelt used the "big stick" by supporting the Panamanian revolt against Colombia. This demonstrated the US's power and willingness to intervene in the region, which influenced other countries' fears of American reprisals should they resist.
