U.S. Imperialism in

Panama

By: John Myslinski, Eric Mui

And Mike Papili

The U.S. Involvement in Panama

• The U.S. got involved in Panama over the Panama Canal.

• If the U.S. was able to build a canal in Panama, its’ naval power would increase greatly because it links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

• The final result was the U.S. had control of the Canal and we had to pay $10 million dollars for the rights to the land, and $250,000 a year, but that yearly fee increased to 1.93 million dollars in 1955 until 1999 when Panama gained control over the canal.

Motives + Justifications

• The U.S motives were to build a canal to increase their trade and hopefully gain new markets to sell American goods to.

• The U.S. justifications was for military and economic gain by building a canal that would allow for an easier way to get to the Pacific from the Atlantic and vice versa.

The U.S. as a Superman

• Even though the U.S. went into Panama for purely economic and military gain for ourselves, in the process we helped out a lot of people.

• Created thousands of jobs for Panamanian laborers, even though they were hired by American contractors.

• Workers were also paid in food along with currency. • Helped Panama overthrow the Colombians who

owned Panama at the time, and during the revolution we sent the U.S.S. Nashville and a detachment of Marines to support the new government in Panama.

The U.S.’s Effect in Panama

• The effects of the U.S. in Panama were both positive and negative.

• Both the Panamanian and American markets benefited and still benefit from the canal today.

• We employed thousands of construction workers for the 10 years that the canal was being built, creating jobs for the people of Panama.

• Even after it was built, it supplied many families with a steady source of income because it created an easier way to conduct trade.

• Many workers died building the Panama Canal, many from the mosquitoes that would often carry Malaria or Yellow Fever.

Panama in Relation to the US

Works Cited

• http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/schager/US%202005-06/spreading%20the%20word/imperialism/impact_of_us_imperialism%20model.htm

• http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/joining.html• http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107870.html • http://asms.k12.ar.us/classes/humanities/worldstud/97-

98/imper/panama/panama.html• http://www.fff.org/freedom/0590b.asp• http://www.stanford.edu/class/e297c/Panama

%20Imperialism%20and%20Struggle.htm• The American Pageant