Transcript Panama and the United States* Influence

Panama and the
United States’
Influence
THE PACIFIC AND THE CARIBBEAN
Today’s Objective

After today’s lesson, students will be able to…
 Explain
Roosevelt’s influence in the Caribbean
 Describe

the impact the United States had in Panama
Essential Skill
 Gather
and organize information and data
Video Clip

As you watch the video clip on the Panama
Canal, answer the questions on your sheet

Be prepared to share your answers following the
clip
Panama Canal

In 1903, Panama was still a part of Colombia,
which refused John Hay’s offer to purchase the
land and gain the rights to build a canal
 Panamanians
decided to declare their
independence from Colombia and make their own
deal with the U.S. to build the canal
 U.S.
sent ships to Panama to prevent Colombia from
interfering
 U.S.
recognized Panama’s independence and the
two signed a treaty to have the canal built
Panama Canal

To sail from Atlantic to Pacific,
ships navigated around Cape
Horn, the treacherous
southern tip of South America.

A New York to San Francisco
trip measured some 13,000
miles and took months.
Panama Canal

Dr. William Gorgas was hired to
eradicate yellow fever, like he had years
before in Havana. He was able to
accomplish his goal by killing the
mosquitoes that carried the disease.

Workers:

Drained swamps, swept drainage ditches,
paved roads, and installed plumbing

Sprayed pesticides by the ton

Entire towns rose from the jungle – complete
with houses, schools, churches, and social
halls.
Panama Canal

It is estimated that over
80,000 persons took part in
the construction and that
30,000 lives were lost in both
French and American
efforts.
U.S President Theodore Roosevelt
visiting the canal construction site.
Panama Canal

The American
expenditures from 1904 to
1914 totaled $352,000,000,
far more than the cost of
anything built by the
United States Government
up to that time. In today’s
money it would cost
$7,448,028,707.72
1909 Lock Construction
Panama Canal

At the Gatun Locks on the
Atlantic side, workers
poured enough concrete
to build a wall 8' wide, 12'
high, and 133 miles long.
They built culverts the size
of railroad tunnels to
channel water from Gatun
Lake into the locks.
Panama Canal

By August 15, 1914 the
Panama Canal was
officially opened by the
passing of the SS Ancon.
Panama Canal
Figure 3: A map showing the route
of the completed canal. A series of
"locks" are used to control the
water level within the canal.
Panama Canal
Conclusion

Today we learned…
 How
 The
Roosevelt impacted the Caribbean.
events that led up to the development of the
Panama Canal.