Wow! eBook
The United States Discovers Panama: The Writings of Soldiers, Scholars, Scientists, and Scoundrels, 1850D1905
Author(s): Michael J. LaRosa (Editor), Germán R. Mejía
- Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
- Publication Date: 22 Oct. 2003
- Language: English
- Print length: 336 pages
- ISBN-10: 0742527212
- ISBN-13: 9780742527218
Book Description
Marking the centennial of Panama’s separation from Colombia in 1903, this volume reprises U.S. images of the isthmus a century ago. The editors have collected a fascinating selection of articles from two of the most influential publications of the era, Harper’s Monthly Magazine and the Atlantic Monthly, to illustrate the prejudices and expansionistic rhetoric of the time. An eclectic mix of adventure-seekers, naturalists, scientists, scholars, and travellers all helped a reading public in the United States ‘discover’ Panama and the tropics. Their writings show the long evolution of the U.S. debate on the question of Panama and how Americans came to believe control of the isthmus was vital to their economic and political wellbeing. Constituting critically important primary sources, which are virtually unknown among students and scholars today, the articles highlight the intersection of politics, history, technology, and commercial interests in the region. By introducing and organizing these long-forgotten essays in cohesive thematic sections, this book will help readers think more critically and carefully about U.S. foreign policy and the ongoing legacy in U.S.-Latin American relations.
Editorial Reviews
Review
This is a very interesting anthology of articles written more than a century ago that illustrate U.S. perceptions of the isthmus of Panama at that time. ― British Bulletin of Publications on Latin America, the Caribbean, Portugal and Spain
This remarkable compilation works because the editors allow the original authors to speak out to us from over a century ago, with all their flaws and misperceptions. It provides excellent background for the emergence of the U.S. as a major power in the twentieth century. — Michael Conniff, San Jose State University
About the Author
Michael J. LaRosa is associate professor of history at Rhodes College. Germán R. Mejía is professor of history and dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá.
