Panama and the United States: The Forced Alliance

by Michael L. Conniff

Overview

After Panama assumed control of the Panama Canal in 1999, its relations with the United States became those of a friendly neighbor. In this third edition, Michael L. Conniff describes Panama’s experience as owner-operator of one of the world’s premier waterways and the United States’ adjustment to its new, smaller role. He finds that Panama has done extremely well with the canal and economic growth but still struggles to curb corruption, drug trafficking, and money laundering. Historically, Panamanians aspired to have their country become a crossroads of the world, while Americans sought to tame a vast territory and protect their trade and influence around the globe. The building of the Panama Canal (1904–14) locked the two countries in their parallel quests but failed to satisfy either fully. Drawing on a wide array of sources, Conniff considers the full range of factors—political, social, strategic, diplomatic, economic, and intellectual—that have bound the two countries together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780820344775
Publisher:	University of Georgia Press
Publication date:	12/01/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	260
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

MICHAEL L. CONNIFF is director of Latin American and Caribbean studies and a professor of Latin American history at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He lived and worked in Panama for many years. He is the author of several books on Panama, Brazil, and Latin America.

Table of Contents

	Preface to the Second Edition	xi
	Acknowledgments	xiii
	Introduction	1
1.	Independence and Early Relations	7
2.	The Railroad Era	24
3.	The French Period	41
4.	Canal Diplomacy, 1902-1919	63
5.	From Gunboats to the Nuclear Age, 1920-1945	84
6.	Uneasy Partners, 1945-1960	98
7.	A Time of Troubles and Treaties, 1960-1979	116
8.	Treaty Implementation, 1979-1985	140
9.	The Noriega Crisis and Bush's Ordeal	154
10.	Canal Ownership and Sovereignty at Last	169
	Notes	187
	Bibliographical Essay	209
	Supplemental Bibliographical Essay for the Second Edition	213
	Index	217

Editorial Reviews

[Panama and the United States] is a fine documentary of Panama’s history and politics, and is a recommended pick for any college-level political studies holding strong in international U.S. actions or Panama history.

Midwest Book Review

Conniff has carefully mined the rich secondary literature on Panama and neatly pieced together the significant aspects of its diplomatic, economic, political, and cultural history. He has written a masterful synthesis, complete with lively narratives and insightful analyses. Based on the theme that Panama–United States relations have constituted a forced alliance, the book differs from most others by examining the experiences of Panamanians and Yankees on all social levels.

Journal of American History

This is a balanced study. Conniff is no apologist for U.S. policy, but heunderstands the contradiction between the American perception of itself as a positive force and the reality of its often negative presence.

American Historical Review

[Panama and the United States] is often insightful. Summing Up: Highly recommended.

Choice

Contains a cornucopia of information while at the same time providing some interesting detours along the way . . . An engrossing and informative book.

on a previous edition Choice

[Panama and the United States] is far from a dry chronicle of treaties. Panama is a colorful place, full of outlandish characters, and Conniff’s inclusion of social movements, mores, and personal factors behind the scenes make a readable account. Conniff lived and worked in Panama in the mid-1960s and traveled there afterward, cultivating original sources. . . . For the American reader especially, Conniff’s account of the end of the alliance offers a good approach to learn about Panama today.

American Diplomacy - Joe B. Johnson