Reasons for and Results from the Panama Canal
Reasons for and Results from the Panama Canal
After the war with Spain at Cuba, the United Stats realized that a faster route was necessary in order to deploy its warships from Pacific Ocean to Atlantic Ocean. It was because the warships in Pacific Ocean had to take a detour around Cape Horn, which is located at the extreme South end of South America, in order to go to the sea area of Cuba. The total distance amounted to 224,000 kilometers, and this great distance caused great amount of wasted time during the war. (www.panacanal.com/english/geographic) Panama Canal was the result of the United State’s hard thinking. Despite all kinds of enormous difficulties, the Unites States built Panama Canal, for a specific military advantage, but it brought significant military and economic advantages to the United States.
Panama Canal was first thought of by England. The United States perceived England’s intensions. In 1850, the United States made an agreement with England. First, the Agreement said that in order to construct a canal, which crosses Central America, they agreement said that in order to construct a canal, which crosses Central America, they should agree in advance. Second, they cannot convert the constructed canal into a military fort. The intention of the United States was to block England, but when England gave up on the idea of constructing the canal, the agreement in 1850 became a big block to the United States (Behind of Panama Canal, p.163).
At this time, England made a proposal. England was having hard battle in South America. England proposed that the United States should be allied with it in exchange for allowing the United States to build a military fort in Panama. Because the United States did not have to involve in the war directly, it had no reason to refuse England’s offer. As a result, in 1901, the United States made an agreement with England. The United States could build the canal independently, but the canal should be open to all countries equally. This agreement allowed the United States to build military fort in Panama.
The United States overcame the obstacle called England, but now Columbia, the real owner of the canal site, came as a new obstacle. The situation at that time was that Columbia gave the monopoly of constructing Panama Canal to Ferdinand Lesseps, who had build Suez canal. In 1990, he already undertook the construction of...