The Panama Canal: Power, Politics, and Ambition
Nov 30, 2026, 6:45 PM ET<a href="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/panama-canal?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/panama-canal?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223">smithsonianassociates.org…</a>
Historian Ralph Nurnberger argues why the Panama Canal can be seen as either a landmark achievement of American diplomacy or a symbol of U.S. arrogance and corruption. Closely tied to Theodore Roosevelt's vision of global power, the canal became both a strategic success and a long-running controversy. Nurnberger traces its history, including the debate over transferring control to Panama, while examining why the United States built a canal in another country and why Panama was selected.