Panama-US relations unit 1.1

When were the roots of the US military presence in Panama planted?

At the beginning of the U.S Civil War, to study diseases

What are the two events that drove early US military intervention in Panama?

The Gold Rush and the Transistmian Railroad

What is the thousand day war?

It was a Colombian Civil War between the Conservatives and the Liberals

When did Panama gain independence from Spain?

November 28, 1821

How many times and in what years did Panama unsuccessfully try to separate from the Gran Colombia Federation?

3 times: 1830, 1831, 1840

Why did Panama want to separate from the Gran Colombia Federation?

They felt ignored by Colombia; there was no connection between Panama and Colombia

Why did the white Panamanians dominate the economy in 1900?

They were the only ones who had external relations; they were the only ones that supplied the railroad; they controlled all the real estate

from the late 1700s until the building of the Panama Railroad, what was the biggest expenditure for Panama?

The Colombian military

Explain the Bidlack Treaty

A treaty signed between the U.S and Colombia. The agreement was that the US would protect Colombian sovereignty and if a canal was built, the US could use it for free

When was the Bidlack treaty signed?

December 12, 1846

Explain the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty

Signed between England and the US. The treaty guarantees cooperation on a future canal

What led a large amount of foreigners to trek through Panama in 1849?

The Gold Rush

Who built the Panama Railroad?

New York investors of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company (PMSC)

When did the first two yellow fever epidemics take place in Panama?

1853 and 1855

When and why did the mass Chinese worker suicide happen?

1854. Poor working conditions and disease

What is the estimated death toll for the construction of the Panama railroad?

6,000 people

what were the advantages of the new railroad?

Made the trip quicker (from 3 days to 3 hours); it allowed more cargo and passengers

how much worth of gold went from California through Panama in 1855?

29 million dollars

What caused the economic depression in Panama during the 1850s?

Unemployment after the building of the railroad and the building of the railroad

Who was William Walker’s band and what was their connection to Panama?

A group of mercenaries who had a slave state in Nicaragua, they kidnapped black people in Panama and took them to Nicaragua