Additional Materials

Timeline

Discussion Questions

Digital Resources

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Discussion Questions

Below are a set of discussion questions designed to promote further thinking on the topic:

1. How different would Panama be if they did not have the canal?
2. How different would Nicaragua be if they possessed the canal?
3. Would the 1989 invasion of Panama be different if the 1977 treaty never happened?
4. How would the Soviet Union reacted if the U.S. handed Panama the canal in 1977?
5. How beneficial was the canal in World War I and World War II?
6. How powerful would France be if the original Panama Canal was completed?
7. Would Manuel Noriega have come to power if Panama had more control of the canal?
8. Is the Panama Canal the only reason the U.S. engage with them in foreign policy?
9. How influential was the U.S. military presence in Panama to other neighboring countries?
10. Did the U.S. military presence in Panama aid in stopping the Spread of Communism?

Digital Resources:

The sources below can help further understanding and perspectives on the topic:

Kolieb, Jonathan A. “Panama Canal.” In The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Military and Diplomatic History, edited by Paul S. Boyer. Oxford University Press, Inc., 2013. https://wooster.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/oupomad/panama_canal/0?institutionId=4607

This is a good summary and overview of the Panama Canal and the History surrounding it. It starts all the way back in 1880 and comes up to 1999 when the canal was transferred to Panamanian control.

Pérez, Orlando J. “Public Opinion and the Future of U.S.-Panama Relations.” Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs 41, no. 3 (1999): 1–33. https://doi.org/10.2307/166157.

This chapter discusses U.S. support in the region over time. It also discusses how the U.S. influenced Panamanian Government in the 20th Century.

Sanchez, Peter M. “THE END OF HEGEMONY? PANAMA AND THE UNITED STATES.” International Journal on World Peace 19, no. 3 (2002): 57–89. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20753364.

This article talks about some of the benefits that Panama received in their relationship with the United States. It also discusses how the Panama Canal is the sole reason of the two countries relationship.

Conniff, Michael L. “Canal Diplomacy, 1902–1919.” In Panama and the United States: The End of the Alliance, 3rd ed., 63–83. University of Georgia Press, 2012. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46ngvs.8.

This book talks about the Panama Canal’s early existence and navigation through World War I. The change in foreign policy by the United States led to a change in foreign policy in Panama.

Millett, Richard L. “The Aftermath of Intervention: Panama 1990.” Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs 32, no. 1 (1990): 1-15. https://doi.org/10.2307/166127.

This chapter discusses the Noriega regime and their relationship to the United States. It also dives into the 1989 invasion and subsequent fall out.