The Panama CanalThe United States and Imperialism

Chapter 11.4

Panama Canal

• A French company fails to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama.

• This portion of land belonged to Colombia at the time

• In 1903, the U.S. buys the French property and equipment, but Colombia refuses to let them build.

• President Theodore Roosevelt sends warships to support an uprising against Colombia.

• Panama declares independence

Panama Canal

• Panama Canal Zone– a treaty granting the U.S. a strip of land to build the canal, directly ruled by U.S.

Modern wonder

• Built between 1904 and 1914.

• A marvel of modern engineering

• Major medical advances invented to control the effects of yellow fever and malaria upon canal workers

• Shortened the voyage from San Francisco to New York by 8,000 miles

Monroe Doctrine

• 1823 proclamation

• The U.S. declared off limits to European imperialism except for colonies that already existed

• Europeans saw this as an idle threat until Spanish-American War

Roosevelt Corollary

• Many Latin American nations deep in debt to Europe

• In 1904, the European creditors threatened military action against the Dominican Republic to collect their debt

• President Roosevelt announced the Roosevelt Corollary which was added to the Monroe Doctrine

• Roosevelt Corollary – The U.S. vowed to use military force out of the Americas

More outcomes of u.s. involvement

• The U.S. sent troops to several Latin American countries to restore civil order in the early 1900’s.

• U.S. forces entered: Haiti, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Cuba

• U.S. takes control of finances of these countries to stop financial chaos

• The U.S. use the Roosevelt Corollary to increase influence in Latin America