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| 1904, Feb. 13 |
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| Adoption of a Panamanian constitution. The U.S. was given the right to intervene in Panama on behalf of U.S. interests. | 1 |
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| 1904–8 |
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| Manuel Amador Guerrero, first president of the republic. Panama had a sparse population of 50,000 inhabitants. | 2 |
| The U.S. acquired the properties of the French canal company. Construction started in 1903 and ended in 1914. Some 45,000 men and 15,000 women came to work on the canal, mostly from the Caribbean. The labor force was sharply divided by ethnic origin and technical skills; the company favored Europeans and North Americans with higher wages. This became a source of conflict among workers and with management. | 3 |
| Outside the canal zone, Panama developed banana plantations, owned by a landed oligarchy. | 4 |
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| 1914, Aug. 15 |
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| THE PANAMA CANAL WAS OPENED. Its use during the early years was limited due to landslides. Its official opening was postponed until July 12, 1920. | 5 |
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| Sept. 2 |
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| The boundaries of the canal zone were defined, and the U.S. obtained further rights over the zone. (See Panama) | 6 |
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