History.
jenniferfrigo
Post.docx1. Why was it so difficult to build the Panama Canal? Make sure to include those year before America took over.
The Panama Canal was the revolutionary manmade water canal that would create a expedient route for eastern and western sea travel, thus increasing trade by allowing ships to bypass going around all of South America. President Theodore Roosevelt was a huge supporter of this project which was completed in the early 1900s. The project began early in the 1880s by France’s Ferdinand de Lesseps but due to “battling mudslides, earthquakes, and disease, de Lesseps eventually abandoned the project” (Keene 19.5). He sold the project concessions to the New Panama Canal Company, another French attempt at building the canal, which had a deal with the Colombian government to build the canal. When Roosevelt offered to financially support the New Panama Canal Company, Colombia was against granting the rights to the United States. They desired the $40 million offered to the company instead of the $10 million originally offered to the country for the concessions to this project.
Soon after, the country of Panama started a revolution against the country of Colombia which had control of this small nation. The New Panama Canal supported this rebellion financially but the United States never officially gave its support but favored the Panamanian’s efforts to separate from Colombia which was a hindrance to the United States desire for control of the canal. The United States officially took over the project in 1904 after Panama was officially separated, but faced a host of challenges. Geographical challenges from the surrounding mountains allowed silt and floodwaters to enter the canal which stopped production. The mudslides and dangers working with dynamite killed many of the black workers building the canal. Disease transmitted by mosquitoes such as malaria and yellow fever was also a killer for many workers which caused Dr. William C. Gorgas to undertake “a relentless fumigation campaign that saved thousands of lives” (Keene 19.5). All of these factors were a great difficulty in building the canal which by it’s completion had killed thousands.
In 1895, Cuba rose up against Spanish rule and entered war with Spain. The U.S. regarded this conflict as a golden opportunity to expand influence overseas. America viewed the Cuban rebellion similar to their own struggle for independence from Britain, which wavered Americans in support of the uprising. For those who were uncertain, the inhumane reconcentration policy placed by Spanish General Valeriano resulted in full support from the remaining Americans. Media was also distributed throughout the U.S. concerning the struggles the Cubans faced under Spanish rule. While this was primarily an effort for newspapers to make money, it ignited public anger against the Spanish and provoked war.
Despite the demand for military interference, President McKinley pursued diplomacy. To break the impasse, McKinley requested for Spain to grant Cuba more autonomy. As a result, Spain removed the reconcentration policy and allowed the Cubans limited self-government. Cubans, unsatisfied, later rioted in Havana. McKinely responded by sending the Maine battleship to Havana to protect American property. However, the Maine exploded in Havana in 1898. As you would expect, the press took the opportunity to rile up Americans. Although the President proceeded to act peacefully, “McKinley tried unsuccessfully to convince Spain to grant Cuba independence and to calm calls for war from Congress.” (Keene, 19.2.2) Realizing how horrendous Spain’s tactics were against the Cubans, Congress and eventually Mckinely decided that the U.S. had a humanitarian duty to assist Cuba. McKinely asked Congress to allow an armed intervention in Cuba. However, on April 24th, Spain declared war on the States. In return, the U.S. declared war on Spain, dating it back to April 21st. Henry M. Teller, Senator of Colorado, authorized the Teller Amendment of 1898. This guaranteed that the U.S. would leave the control of the Cuban Island to its people. Yet it did not guarantee the same for people who were also under Spanish rule in the Caribbean and Pacific.
A week into the war, the U.S. sailed to the Spanish colony in the Philippines and demolished the Spanish Pacific Fleet. They did so to prevent the Spanish from sailing to Cuba. This resulted in the Filipino rebels opening their arms to Americans, viewing them as liberators. A year later, they would be proven wrong. The war ended in August 1898. A peace treaty was signed on December 10th, 1898. The Treaty of Paris granted Cuba independence. “Spain relinquished its claim to Cuba, and the United States received Puerto Rico in the Caribbean and Guam, the largest of the Mariana Islands, in the Pacific. In return for $20 million, Spain also ceded the Philippines to the United States.” (Keene, 19.2.3) With only Cuba given independence, the people of the Philippines soon declared war for independence from the United States. This resulted in the Philippine-American War in 1899.
