The Mallarino–Bidlack Treaty (also known as the Bidlack Treaty and Treaty of New Granada) was a
treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...
signed between
New Granada (today
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
and
Panama
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
) and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, on December 12, 1846.
[Kellogg Institute at the University of Notre Dame, November 14, 1996]
"Towards 1999 : Highlights of an Historical Review (US-Panama Relations) in the context of an Electoral and Democratic Evolution"
by Eduardo Valdés E. U.S. minister
Benjamin Alden Bidlack negotiated the pact with New Granada's commissioner
Manuel María Mallarino.
Officially, it was entitled ''Tratado de Paz, Amistad, Navegación y Comercio'' (Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Commerce and Navigation), and was meant to represent an agreement of mutual cooperation. It granted the U.S. significant
transit
Transit may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film
* ''Transit'' (1980 film), a 1980 Israeli film
* ''Transit'' (1986 film), a Canadian short film
* ''Transit'' (2005 film), a film produced by MTV and Staying-Alive about four people in countrie ...
rights over the Panamanian
isthmus
An isthmus (; : isthmuses or isthmi) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea count ...
, as well as military powers to suppress social conflicts and independence struggles targeted against Colombia. Under the Bidlack-Mallarino Treaty, the U.S. intervened militarily many times on the isthmus, usually against civilians, peasant
guerrillas
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...
, or
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
independence struggles. After the beginning of the
California Gold Rush
The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...
of 1848, the U.S. spent seven years constructing a trans-isthmian
Panama Railway
The Panama Canal Railway (PCR, ) is a railway line linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean in Central America. The route stretches across the Isthmus of Panama from Colón (Atlantic) to Balboa (Pacific, near Panama City). Because of ...
. The result of the treaty, however, was to give the United States a legal opening in politically and economically influencing the Panama isthmus, which was part of New Granada at the time, but was later to become the independent country of Panama in accordance with the wishes of the United States. In 1903, however, the United States failed to gain access to a strip on the isthmus for the construction of a canal, and reversed its position on Panamanian secession from the Republic of Colombia.
See also
*
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...
*
Latin America – United States relations
*
List of United States treaties
This is a list of treaties to which the United States has been a party or which have had direct relevance to U.S. history.
Pre-Revolutionary War treaties
Before the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776, the sovereign of the Unite ...
References
Further reading
* Bevans, Charles I. (ed.), ''Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America 1776–1949'', vol. 6 (1971), pp. 865–881.
* Findling, John E., ''Dictionary of American Diplomatic History'', 2d ed. (1989).
*
McCullough, David, ''
The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870—1914'', Simon & Schuster New York 1977 Octavo, pp. 698, , (Pbk.)
*
*
External links
Peace, amity, navigation, and commerce, 1846 United States Treaties and International Agreement, compiled by Charles I. Bevans. Library of Congress.
History of Panama
Treaties of the United States
Treaties of the Republic of New Granada
1846 treaties
Colombia–United States relations
1846 in Colombia
December 1846
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