History of Panama

Panama had a rich Pre-Colombian heritage of native populations whose presence stretched back over 12,000 years. The earliest traces of these indigenous peoples include fluted projectile points. Central Panama was home to some of the first pottery-making villages in the Americas, such as the Monagrillo culture dating to about 2500-1700 BC. These evolved into significant populations that are best known through the spectacular burials of the Conte site (dating to c. AD 500-900) and the beautiful polychrome pottery of the Coclé style.

Related Topics:
Pre-Colombian - Pottery - The Americas

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In 1501, Rodrigo de Bastidas from Seville, who had accompanied Colombus on his second voyage to the Americas, sailed westward from the Atlantic side of present day Colombia in an attempt to reconnoiter the coastline of the Caribbean basin. Though the poor condition of his ships forced him to turn back and return to Santo Domingoto to effect repairs, de Bastidas would reach La Punta de Manzanillo on Panama's upper Caribbean coast before having to abandon his effort. He is acknowledged to be the first European to have claimed that part of the isthmus, which includes the famous San Blas region of the Cuna. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Panama was widely settled by Chibchan and Chocoan peoples, among whom the largest group were the Cueva (whose specific language affiliation is poorly documented). A year after de Bastidas's arrival to Panama and on his fourth trip to the Americas, Christopher Columbus would sail south to the isthmus from the northern, present day Central American states of Honduras and Costa Rica. Colombus produced hand drawn maps of Panama's coastline and unlike de Bastidas explored Panama's western territories. He landed at a place that is today called Almirante and proceeded along the coast to a part of the territory he would name Veragua meaning 'to see water'. He continued his coastal journey up to the River Chagres, taking refuge in a natural bay he christened Portobelo. This site would become a key port for colonial Spain in 1597 replacing Nombre de Dios which had burned and had proven to be vulnerable to attack. Colombus ended his exlorations at Del Retrete having spent just shy of two months in what would be Panama.

Related Topics:
Rodrigo de Bastidas - Chibchan - Chocoan - Christopher Columbus

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Vasco Núñez de Balboa who had been aboard de Bastidas's ship in 1501, made a hard fought and tortuous trek from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 1513 and was able to verify what indigenous people had reported, that the isthmus had another coast and that there was another ocean. Balboa would call it the South Sea though it was later renamed the Pacific.

Related Topics:
Vasco Núñez de Balboa - Atlantic - Pacific

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A recurring theme in Panama's history has been the relation of the isthmus to the emergence of a world economy. Balboa's verification that there was another ocean that could be reached by crossing the isthmus helped encourage Panama's use by colonial Spain as a crossroads and marketplace for siezed Peruvian treasures, Spanish goods, contraband (goods and trade not approved by the Spanish crown) supplies, people, conscripted and enslaved labor, all of which were distributed throughout the Spanish colonial territories. The success of the Spanish was in stark contrast to the devastation of indigenous peoples. By the late 17th century, Cueva culture had all but disappeared. Mining techniques included the looting of Indian cemeteries for the pre-Colombian gold treasures they contained. Gold and silver were brought by ship from South America, hauled across the isthmus, and loaded aboard ships for Spain. The route became known as the Camino Real, or Royal Road, although was more commonly known as Camino de Cruces (Road of the Crosses) because of the frequency of gravesites along the way.

Related Topics:
South America - Camino de Cruces - Road of the Crosses

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Panama was part of the Spanish Empire for 300 years (1538-1821) and Panamanian fortunes fluctuated with the geopolitical importance of the isthmus to the Spanish crown. Panama's importance would would wane significantly towards the end of the 17th century and fade almost altogether by the middle of the 18th as Spanish influence and power in Europe decreased and as Spanish ships began to increasingly go round Cape Horn to reach the Atlantic. While the Panama route was short it was also labor intensive and expensive because of the loading and unloading and laden-down trek required to get from the one coast to the other. The Panama route was also vulnerable to attack from pirates (mostly Dutch and English) and from 'new world' Africans called Cimarrons who had freed themselves from enslavement and lived in communes or palenques around the Camino Real, in Panama's Interior and on some of the islands off Panama's Pacific coast.

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In 1821 the isthmus joined with Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador to form 'Gran' or Greater Colombia and became the Department of the Ithmus in the latter. This territory more or less corresponded to the old colonial administrative district called the Viceroyalty of New Granada. In September of 1830, under the guidance of General José Domingo Espinar, the local military commander who rebelled against the nation's central government in response to his being transferred to another command, Panama separated from Greater Colombia and requested that Simon Bolivar take direct command of the ithmus department. It made this a condition to its reunification with the rest of the country. Bolivar rejected Espinar's actions, and though he did not assume control of the ithmus he desired and called for Panama to rejoin the central state. Because of the overall political tension, Greater Colombia's final days were approaching. Bolivar's vision for territorial unity disintegrated finally when General Juan Eligio Alzuru undertook a military coup against Espinar's authority. By early 1831 with order restored, Panama had reincorporated itself to what was left of Greater Colombia, which had adopted the name the Republic of New Granada.

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By July 1831, as the new countries of the Venezuela and Ecuador were being established, the isthmus would again declare its independence, now under General Alzuru as supreme military commander. Abuses committed by Alzuru's shortlived administration were countered by military forces under the command of Colonel Tomás Herrera, resulting in the defeat and execution of Alzuru in August, and the reestablishment of ties with the rest of New Granada. In November 1840, during a civil war that had begun as a religious conflict, the isthmus under the leadership of now General Herrera declared its independence as did multiple other local authorities. Panama took the name of 'Estado Libre del Istmo', or the Free State of the Isthmus. The new state established external political and economic ties and by March 1841, had drawn up a constitution that included the possibility for Panama to rejoin New Granada, but only as a federal district. By the time the civil conflict ended and the government of New Granada and the government of the Isthmus had negotiated the Isthmus's reincorporation to the union the Isthmus had been independent for 13 months. Reunification happened on December 31, 1841.

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Under a federalist constitution that was later brought up in 1858 (and another one in 1863), Panama and other constituent states gained almost complete autonomy on many levels of their administration, which led to an often anarchic national state of affairs that lasted roughly until Colombia's return to centralism in 1886 with the establishment of a new Republic of Colombia.

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As was often the case in the new world after independence, the local administrative and political structures were controlled by the remnants of the colonial aristocracy. In the case of Panama, this elite was constituted by a group of under ten extended families. Though Panama has made enormous advances in social mobility and racial integration, it is still true that much of Panama's economic and social life is controlled by a small number of families. The derogatory term rabiblanco ("white tail"), of uncertain origin, has been used for generations to refer to the usually Caucasian members of the elite families.

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In 1852 the isthmus would adopt trial by jury in criminal cases and 30 years after abolition would finally declare and enforce an end to slavery. In 1855, the first Transcontinental railway of the New World, the Panama Railway, was built across the isthmus from Colón to Panama City to transport fortune hunters who wanted quick passage to the gold fields of California. The existence of the railroad made speculation about a Panamanian canal feasible.

Related Topics:
Transcontinental railway - New World - Panama Railway - Colón - Panama City

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