TR and the Panama Canal
On November 9, 1906 (106 years ago today) Theodore Roosevelt became the first sitting President of the United States to make an official trip outside the country. He did so to inspect progress on the Panama Canal.
Work on the canal, began in 1881 and continued until its completion in 1914. When the canal was complete it was no longer necessary for ships to sail the lengthy Cape Horn route around the southernmost tip of South America or to navigate the dangerous waters of the Strait of Magellan. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal made it possible for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in half the time previously required. The shorter, faster, safer route to the U.S. West Coast and to nations in and along the Pacific Ocean allowed those places to become more integrated with the world economy.
On January 22, 1903, the Hay-Herran Treaty was signed by United States Secretary of State John M. Hay and Dr. Tomás Herrán of Colombia. It would have granted the United States a renewable lease in perpetuity from Colombia on the land proposed for the canal. The treaty was ratified by the U.S. Senate on March 14, 1903, but the Senate of Colombia did not ratify it. Phillipe Bunau-Varilla, chief engineer and significant shareholder of the French canal company, told U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and Hay of a possible revolt, and hoped that the United States would support Panamanian rebels who aimed to separate from Colombia by providing U.S. troops and money. Roosevelt promised support for the separation of Panama from Colombia.
On November 2, 1903, U.S. warships blocked sea lanes in order to prevent Colombian troop movements en route to put down the rebellion. Dense jungles blocked Colombia's land routes. Bribes were reportedly paid to get the few Colombian troops stationed in Panama to lay down their arms. Panama declared independence the next day, November 3, 1903. The United States quickly recognized the new nation. On November 6, 1903, Phillipe Bunau-Varilla, Panama's ambassador to the United States, signed the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty, granting rights to the United States to build and indefinitely administer the Panama Canal Zone and its defenses. Although Bunau-Varilla was serving as Panama's ambassador, he was a French citizen and this would later become a contentious diplomatic issue between Panama and the United States.
In 1904, the United States, under President Theodore Roosevelt, bought the French equipment and excavations for $40 million, paid the new country of Panama over $10 million more each year, and began work on the Panama Canal on May 4.
Roosevelt believed that a passage through the Isthmus of Panama was vital to protect American interests and to create a strong and cohesive United States Navy. The resulting Panama Canal was completed in 1914 and it revolutionized world travel and commerce. On Roosevelt's last day in Panama, he made a speech to the American workers, including John Stevens, the Canal's Chief Engineer up to 1907. In his speech, Roosevelt praised the construction efforts, saying:
"Whoever you are, if you are doing your duty, the balance of the country is placed under obligation to you, just as it is to a soldier in a great war. As I have looked at you, and seen you work, seen what you have done and are doing, I have felt just exactly as I would feel to see the big men of our country carrying on a great war... This is one of the great works of the world. It is a greater work than you yourselves at the moment realise."
Work on the canal, began in 1881 and continued until its completion in 1914. When the canal was complete it was no longer necessary for ships to sail the lengthy Cape Horn route around the southernmost tip of South America or to navigate the dangerous waters of the Strait of Magellan. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal made it possible for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in half the time previously required. The shorter, faster, safer route to the U.S. West Coast and to nations in and along the Pacific Ocean allowed those places to become more integrated with the world economy.
On January 22, 1903, the Hay-Herran Treaty was signed by United States Secretary of State John M. Hay and Dr. Tomás Herrán of Colombia. It would have granted the United States a renewable lease in perpetuity from Colombia on the land proposed for the canal. The treaty was ratified by the U.S. Senate on March 14, 1903, but the Senate of Colombia did not ratify it. Phillipe Bunau-Varilla, chief engineer and significant shareholder of the French canal company, told U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and Hay of a possible revolt, and hoped that the United States would support Panamanian rebels who aimed to separate from Colombia by providing U.S. troops and money. Roosevelt promised support for the separation of Panama from Colombia.
On November 2, 1903, U.S. warships blocked sea lanes in order to prevent Colombian troop movements en route to put down the rebellion. Dense jungles blocked Colombia's land routes. Bribes were reportedly paid to get the few Colombian troops stationed in Panama to lay down their arms. Panama declared independence the next day, November 3, 1903. The United States quickly recognized the new nation. On November 6, 1903, Phillipe Bunau-Varilla, Panama's ambassador to the United States, signed the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty, granting rights to the United States to build and indefinitely administer the Panama Canal Zone and its defenses. Although Bunau-Varilla was serving as Panama's ambassador, he was a French citizen and this would later become a contentious diplomatic issue between Panama and the United States.
In 1904, the United States, under President Theodore Roosevelt, bought the French equipment and excavations for $40 million, paid the new country of Panama over $10 million more each year, and began work on the Panama Canal on May 4.
Roosevelt believed that a passage through the Isthmus of Panama was vital to protect American interests and to create a strong and cohesive United States Navy. The resulting Panama Canal was completed in 1914 and it revolutionized world travel and commerce. On Roosevelt's last day in Panama, he made a speech to the American workers, including John Stevens, the Canal's Chief Engineer up to 1907. In his speech, Roosevelt praised the construction efforts, saying:
"Whoever you are, if you are doing your duty, the balance of the country is placed under obligation to you, just as it is to a soldier in a great war. As I have looked at you, and seen you work, seen what you have done and are doing, I have felt just exactly as I would feel to see the big men of our country carrying on a great war... This is one of the great works of the world. It is a greater work than you yourselves at the moment realise."