After a century of operation, the U.S. is returning the Panama
Canal to its namesake This article was posted on Decmeber 13,
1999. When former president Jimmy Carter shakes hands with
members of the Panama Canal Authority on December 14, 1999, it
will mark the ceremonial end to a transition that's been 20
years in the making. Though the transfer of Canal power seems to
most a sign of hope, some Americans have voiced second thoughts.
U.S. History & the Canal After encouraging Panama's independence
from Colombia, the U.S. signed a treaty in 1903 that gave it the
rights to build and operate the canal for perpetuity. The
agreement also gave the U.S. the right to govern the 10-mile
wide, 40-mile long strip of land around the canal, called the
Panama Canal Zone. U.S. engineers organized thousands of workers
for the 10-year project that would eventually become one of the
greatest engineering achievements in history. The United States
government owned and operated the canal and the surrounding zone
for 85 years, esta