The United States needed to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans after gaining territory in the Philippines and Guam from the Spanish-American War. Building a canal through the isthmus of Panama was the easiest route, but Colombia controlled the area. The U.S. offered Colombia money to build the canal, but Colombia declined. A revolution then occurred in Panama, and the U.S. recognized the new nation of Panama. Panama then signed a treaty granting the U.S. control over the canal zone to build the canal, which opened in 1914.

1. The
panama
canal

2. connection
• With a quick victory in the
Spanish-American War, the
United States needed a way to
take care of all of the land that
they had picked up, especially
in the Pacific Ocean.

3. connection
• A connection needed to be
made between the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans so that the
United States could get ships
out to Guam and the
Philippines faster.

4. connection
• The easiest way to do that
was with a canal across the
isthmus (a narrow neck of
land that connects two
landmasses) of Panama.

5. problems
• The biggest problem that
the United States faced was
that the area of the canal
zone in Panama was
controlled by Colombia.

6. problems
• The United States offered
Colombia $10 million up
front and a rent of $250,000
a year to build and then run
the canal.

7. problems
• Colombia decided that this
was not enough.

8. solution
• All of the sudden there was
a “revolution” in the area of
the canal zone.

9. solution
• As the Colombians were
about to send in troops to
put down the revolution,
they were met by the U.S.S.
Nashville and forced to
return home.

10. solution
• The Republic of Panama
was formed on November
3, 1903, and three days later
the United States
recognized it as a nation.

11. solution
• By November 18, 1903 a
treaty between the United
States and Panama was signed
which gave Panama the same
things that the Colombians had
turned down.

12. In charge
• The canal that connected
the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans was finished in
1914, and President
Theodore Roosevelt took
full credit for it.

13. In charge
• In order to ensure that no
other country would try and
take control of the canal or
the canal zone, he issued
the Roosevelt Corollary to
the Monroe Doctrine.

14. In charge
• This said that the United States
would make sure that countries
in the Western Hemisphere
would pay its debts to make
sure that foreign countries
would not have to send in
troops to get payment.

15. In charge
• This was called “gunboat
diplomacy”