| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
Pre-Columbian ceramic figure from Talamancan, 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.
A recurring theme in Panama's history has been the relation of the isthmus to the world economy and its significance in the plans of great powers to control world commerce. Rodrigo de Bastidas , sailing westward from Venezuela in 1501 in search of gold, was the first European to explore the Isthmus of Panama. 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 later, Christopher Columbus visited the isthmus and established a short-lived settlement in the Darien. Vasco Núñez de Balboa's tortuous trek from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 1513 demonstrated that the isthmus was, indeed, the path between the seas, and Panama quickly became the crossroads and marketplace of Spain's empire in the New WorldThe New World is one of the names used for the continents of North and South America and adjacent islands collectively, in use since the 16th century. The continents were new to the Europeans, who knew the world consisting only of Europe, Asia, and Africa. 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 AmericaSouth America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. South America is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. It became attached to North America only recently, geologically speaking, wi, 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.
Panama was part of the Spanish EmpireSpain was the center of one of the first global empires. The 16th and 17th centuries are sometimes called "the Golden Age of Spain" (in spanish, Siglo de Oro . Spain maintained its vast overseas empire until the 19th century. According to Henry Kamen, Spa for 300 years (1538-1821). From the outset, Panamanian identity was based on a sense of "geographic destiny," and Panamanian fortunes fluctuated with the geopolitical importance of the isthmus. The colonial experience also spawned Panamanian nationalism as well as a racially complex and highly stratified society, the source of internal conflicts that ran counter to the unifying force of nationalism.
From 1821 to 1903, Panama was a remote province of ColombiaFor other uses see Columbia. The Republic of Colombia is a country in north-western South America. It is bound by earth, to the north and north west by the Caribbean Sea, to the east by Venezuela and Brazil, to the south by Ecuador and Peru, and to the we. 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 integrationRacial integration or simply integration in United States usage, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation). In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equa, 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.
In the early 1850s, the first Transcontinental railway of the New WorldThe New World is one of the names used for the continents of North and South America and adjacent islands collectively, in use since the 16th century. The continents were new to the Europeans, who knew the world consisting only of Europe, Asia, and Africa, the Panama RailwayThe Panama Railway or Panama Railroad was the world's first Transcontinental railroad. It stretches across the isthmus of Panama from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The need for the railway was inspired by the California Gold Rush. The project w, was build across the isthmus from ColónColon is a sea port city on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama. In 2000 it had a population of about 204,000 people. It is near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. The city is the capital of Panama's Colon Province. History The city was founded in 1 to Panama City. The existence of the railroad made speculation about a Panamanian canal feasible.