when did colombia sell the panama canal
The United States acquired the rights to build and operate the Panama Canal during the first years of the 20th century. The Hay-HerrÃ¡n Treaty, negotiated with the nation of Colombia in 1903, allowed the United States rights to the land surrounding the planned canal. The Colombian Senate refused to ratify the treaty, but Panama was in the process of seceding from Colombia.
Since the disintegration of the Great Colombia, the Isthmus fought for its independence with little success until 1903. The PanamaâColombia separation was formalized on 3 November 1903, with the establishment of the Republic of Panama.