“I took Panama”: President Theodore Roosevelt and the
Panama Canal--Background Information
American desire for an isthmian canal began as far back as the 1840s migration to Oregon
territory and the California Gold Rush of 1848. To protect the potential economic and
strategic benefit of a canal in 1850 the United States signed a treaty with Great Britain.
This treaty was called the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty. In this treaty, both nations agreed to
seek independent rights to a canal. After the American Civil War the desire for a quicker
route from the east coast to the west coast of the United States drove President Ulysses
S. Grant to appoint a commission to research the best potential location for a canal
between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Although the Grant and McKinley administrations
both found that a canal route through Nicaragua would be the most advantageous, a
French company began in 1878 to construct a canal in a part of the nation of Columbia
called Panama.
1.
Circle the important people and events named in this paragraph.
2. The main idea of this paragraph is: __________________________________________
3. List in chronological order the three most important events described in this paragraph:

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________
By 1898, the French effort to construct a canal, which cost over $300,000,000 and
thousands of lives, was declared a failure and discontinued. At the same time American
needs for a quicker route between coasts was increased by the fact that the United Sates
was soon to be at war in Cuba and the Philippines. Theodore Roosevelt was Assistant
Secretary of the Navy. He would later become President, Roosevelt immediately saw the
importance of constructing and controlling a canal. England and the United States signed
the Hay-Poncefote Treaty in 1901. In this treaty the British gave up their claim to a canal.
Roosevelt then began an intensive search for territory to build a canal.
4. Circle the important people and events named in this paragraph.
5. The main idea of this paragraph is: __________________________________________
6. List in chronological order the three most important events described in this paragraph:

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________
As Roosevelt and the American government made the canal a priority, a former member of
the French construction team in the Panamanian territory of Columbia, Philippe BunauVarillia, sought to contract with someone to continue the construction of a canal. Working
from New York City, Bunau-Varilla prepared maps and budgets to use while trying to
convince the United States Senate and President Roosevelt to buy the territory of Panama
as the logical location for a transoceanic canal. The Senate was trying to decide whether
to try to put the canal in Columbia or in Nicaragua. As the United States Senate debated
the possible locations for the canal, Bunau-Varillia mailed a letter to Senators containing a
one cent Nicaraguan stamp depicting the eruption of volcano Mt. Momotombo. Senators
saw the stamp and became convinced that there were active volcanos in Nicaragua. So,
Senate agreed in 1902 to support a Panamanian route because it seemed safer. So, by
1903, the President and the Senate wanted to build the canal in Panama.
7. Circle the important people and events named in this paragraph.
8. The main idea of this paragraph is: __________________________________________
9. List in chronological order the three most important events described in this paragraph:

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________
The result of the American change of policy was the signing of a new treaty. It was called
the Hay-Herran Treaty. It was signed by the United States and the President of Columbia,
Jose Marroquin. The treaty was approved by the United States Senate but not by the
Columbian legislature. The treaty promised that Columbia would lease to the United States
a strip of land 10 miles wide for 100 years for $40 million and an additional payment of
$250,000 a year. Despite President Marroquin’s signature on the treaty the Columbian
legislature’s refusal to ratify the treaty set in motion a series of events that have been
interpreted differently by many historians.
10. Circle the important people and events named in this paragraph.
11. The main idea of this paragraph is: __________________________________________
12. List in chronological order the three most important events described in this paragraph:

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________