Key Figures and Events

Coffee Rush

Coffee is a wanted drink in countries all over the world. One of the largest supplying countries in the world for coffee is Brazil, supplying about one third of all coffee. Francisco De Melo Palheta planted the very first coffee bush in Brazil in 1727. From then until 1770 coffee was only produced for the consumption of the citizens in Brazil. Once America and Europe demanded an increase for coffee, the growing industry attracted millions of immigrants and transformed Sao Paulo to the largest industrial center in the developing world.

Francisco De Melo, born in 1597, was a Spanish Explorer who was the first to plant a coffee bush in Brazil. He was sent to French Guiana to resolve a border altercation. Instead he ended up smuggling coffee seeds from there by seducing the governors wife.

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a crucial canal to many of countries because it allows vessels to cross between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, cutting out thousands of miles while saving fuel costs and transit times. President Theodore Roosevelt felt that having an U.S controlled canal was an interest towards the United States. He was then able to push through the acquisition of the French Panama Canal, which led to the 1903 Hay- Herran Treaty, permitting the U.S to 99 year lease for a 6 mile wide strip in Panama. Once the U.S helped Panama gain its independence from Columbia the Hay-Herran Treaty turned into the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty which gave the U.S full control and ownership of the Canal Zone. Since then over 1 million ships have passed through the Canal.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa

Vasco Nunez was born in 1475 in Spain and helped to found the town of Darien on the Isthmus Panama. In 1513 he was the first person to come up with the idea of a canal across Central America. Unfortunately in 1519 he died from treason.

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was born on April 27th 1822 in Ohio. He was in command of all U.S armies in 1864 and in 1869 he became the 18th President of the United States. He was the first to send survey expeditions to Central America in 1869 to explore a waterborne crossing.

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was born October 27th 1858 in New York City. Before his presidency in 1901 he was a governor of New York. He helped Panama gain its independence by dispatching U.S Troops to Panama, which in turn helped America to gain full ownership of the Panama Canal. Later on he won a Nobel Prize for his help in ending the Russo-Japanese War.

Ferdinand de Lesseps

Ferdinand was born November 19th in 1805. In 1854 he was the brains for the Suez Canal in Egypt, organizing political and financial backing while also providing the necessary technical support. He went on to lead the Panama Canal project in 1879.

Platt Amendment

Once the Spanish-American war was over the United States found itself in control of many of territories overseas, including Cuba. The Platt Amendment was a treaty between the U.S and Cuba that seeked to defend Cubas independence from foreign intervention. It allowed the U.S to involve in Cuba's international and domestic affairs. Cuba included the amendment in their Constitution. The amendment also guaranteed the United States to lease or buy lands for the purpose of establishing naval bases. Since this amendment we have been in 4 affairs siding along with Cuba, including in 1906, 1912, 1917, and 1920.

Elihu Root

Orville Platt was born July 19th 1827. He was the Senator of Connecticut who presented the Platt Amendment.