Panama was a crossroads of globe trade a century before the first settler struggled at Massachusetts Bay. From its beginnings, the Isthmus was destined to be the so-called center of the universe. Rodrigo de Bastidas, the Spanish explorer and first European to land in the area of Panama in 1501, wandered around for treasures but returned to Spain empty handed. Vasco Nunez de Balboa went to Panama to escape creditors, after having been in Hispaniola. Malaria killed many of the Spaniards that settled with Balboa but he befriended the Indians and seized control after he stood atop a peak in Easter Panama, which he claimed for Spain. After Balboa lost control to Pedriarias the “cruel” he was strangled for treason.
The name Panama was possibly derived from an Indian term meaning “man fish”. It could have also come from the word “panaba” or “far away”, the frequent reply the Indians gave explorers who demanded the location of the nearest gold mines. Pedrarias the “cruel” expanded his endeavors by founding the city of Panama in 1519. For a while Panama City flourished. By 1572, however, other adventurers like the pirates Francis Drake and Henry Drake, transformed Panama into an arena for a struggle to death between the established empire of Spain and the young aspiring English Empire. The Spanish eventually moved to the area that is the present city of Panama (founded in 1673). After 1739, Spain destroyed Panama’s autonomy by attaching it to the Viceroyalty of New Granada (now Colombia). Panama, henceforth, began a century and a half long struggle to regain its independence from its aggressors.
In 1821, after much agony and defeat, Panama was successful in declaring independence from Spain and then became affiliated with Simon Bolivar’s Gran Colombia. The Panamanian economy was on a continuous decline until the 1880’s when interest in transportation across the Isthmus developed. Ferdinand de Lesseps, builder of the Suez Canal, began excavating the Canal, but later sold the rights to the United States. At the time, Theodore Roosevelt was a supporter of the Panamanian Independence Movement in his drive to obtain a favorable treaty for the canal construction. Eventually, Panama revolted and got independence from Colombia in November, 1903.
Subsequently, the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was signed giving perpetual control of the Panama Canal Zone to the United States. This issue of control over the Panama Canal Zone has been the dominant desideratum in Panamanian history for a long time. In 1978 President Carter signed a treaty with General Torrijos stipulating complete transfer of the Canal to Panama by December, 1999. According to some experts in Central American history, relations between Panama and the United States have improved as a result of the treaty which gives Panama complete control over the Canal in the future.
G
eography of Panaman
After the teacher conducts her activities (as per lesson) on the history of Panama, the next strategy is to explicate the geography with a globe, teach the students the important mountains, rivers and mountains and other pertinent information like natural resources, standard of living, and national currency. This is followed by activities found in sample lesson. The teacher can find it interesting to dedicate a few minutes comparing the currency of Panama, the United States and other countries. This has been done in some of our classes and the students have responded very enthusiastically.