In 1901, the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty between the United States and England authorized the U.S. to build a neutral canal in Central America. This led to the building of the Panama Canal, which linked efficient shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean and became a huge success, much as the Erie Canal in New York had about 90 years earlier. The first ship passed through the Panama Canal in 1914. However, Democratic President Jimmy Carter gave the canal to Panama in a 1977 treaty (with narrow Senate approval over much opposition by conservatives), and China runs the Panama Canal today. | In 1901, the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty between the United States and England authorized the U.S. to build a neutral canal in Central America. This led to the building of the Panama Canal, which linked efficient shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean and became a huge success, much as the Erie Canal in New York had about 90 years earlier. The first ship passed through the Panama Canal in 1914. However, Democratic President Jimmy Carter gave the canal to Panama in a 1977 treaty (with narrow Senate approval over much opposition by conservatives), and China runs the Panama Canal today. |