The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a waterway that is 48 miles long.  It was built from 1904 to 1914 by over 40,000 workers.  Most of these workers were African-Americans from the West Indies.  Many people dreamed of being able to have a canal go through this area in Panama because it would save about a month's travel time (8,000 miles).  During the 1880s, France attempted to build the Panama Canal, but they never finished.  Once the United States helped Panama win their independence, they were allowed, under the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty to construct the canal.  The treaty also said that the U.S. owned the canal, and the land on five miles on either side of it.  This caused many people to start riots.  One of the main reasons was because it wasn't good for the Panamanian economy.  In 1977 president Jimmy Carter signed a treaty with Panama that returned 60% of the land along the canal to Panama.  Then on December 31, 1999 the United States gave the rest of the territory along and including the canal, back to Panama.  The treaty in 1977 said that the canal was a neutral zone for all water vessels and that it was safe even during times of war.  In 1999, the U.S. and Panama both agreed to share the responsibility of defending the Panama Canal.  There is a picture below and a map, both showing views of the Canal.  The video at the bottom is about an hour long, but has some really good info on the Panama Canal.  Another interesting thing that happened in 1904 was that the Roosevelt Corollary was passed, saying that the U.S. was allowed (under certain circumstances) to intervene in the governments in South America.