Panama Canal Compromise

The history of the Panama Canal is a very important topic in history that shows many different examples of conflict and compromise with the ownership and use of the canal. The Panama Canal is a sea-level canal that goes through a small section of the isthmus of Panama, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The canal was built to allow passage across the Americas instead of traveling all the way around South America. The strategic location of Panama and its isthmus attracted the attention of many different countries including France, America, and Columbia. These countries experienced conflict and compromise as the canal was built and used over the years. The idea of building the canal was first proposed by Count Ferdinand De Lesseps

The citizens of Panama wanted to revolt and gain ownership of their country once again. During this time, America had also wanted ownership and control of the canal. So, President Theodore Roosevelt offered Columbia the Hay-Herrán Treaty, which gave America ownership of the Canal in exchange for financial compensation. Columbia turned down this offer, so America helped the Panama citizens revolt, and with America’s help, the citizens of Panama regained ownership of their country once again. The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, which gave America ownership of the cana, was proposed and both Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla, the French diplomatic representative of Panama, and United States Secretary of State John Hay signed this treaty. America then finished building the canal which opened in

President Jimmy Carter supported the idea of creating new treaties that proposed a new plan of compromising with Panama. These treaties, otherwise known as the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, were created and signed. President Jimmy Carter and General Omar Torrijos, the Panama government leader, signed the two treaties in Washington D.C. The first treaty was the Panama Canal Treaty, that promised to give operation, management, and defense of the canal area to Panama on December 31, 1999. The other treaty, called the Neutrality Treaty, insured permanent neutrality of the canal and allows the United States use military force (if necessary) to keep the canal open. In 1999, the United States returned the canal to Panama as promised in the Panama Canal treaty. These two treaties are great examples of conflict that became a compromise in the ownership and use of the