PATH OF EMPIRE A volume in the series The United States in the World Edited by Mark Philip Bradley and Paul A.Kramer PATH OF EMPIRE Panama and the California Gold Rush Aims McGuinness Cornell University Press Ithaca and London Copyright © 2008 by Cornell University All rights reserved.Except for brief quotations in a review,this book, or parts thereof,must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher.For information,address Cornell University Press,Sage House,512 East State Street,Ithaca, New York 14850. First published 2008 by Cornell University Press Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McGuinness,Aims,1968– Path of Empire :Panama and the California Gold Rush / Aims McGuinness. p. cm.—(The United States in the world) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8014-4521-7 (cloth :alk.paper) 1. United States—Foreign relations—Panama. 2. Panama— Foreign relations—United States. 3. Americans—Panama— History—19th century. 4. Watermelon Riot,Colón,Panama, 1856. 5. Panama—History—19th century. 6. California— History—1846–1850. 7. California—Gold discoveries. I. Title. II. Series. E183.8.P2M36 2008 327.730728709'034—dc22 2007028868 Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publish- ing of its books.Such materials include vegetable-based,low-VOC inks and acid-free papers that are recycled,totally chlorine-free,or partly composed of nonwood fibers.For further information,visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu. Cloth printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For my parents and for Jasmine Contents Acknowledgments ix Prelude:April 15,1856 1 Introduction:In the Archive of Loose Leaves 4 Chapter 1.California in Panama 16 Chapter 2. The Panama Railroad and the Conquest of theGold Rush 54 Chapter 3.Sovereignty on the Isthmus 84 Chapter 4.“We Are Not in the United States Here” 123 Chapter 5.U.S.Empire and the Boundaries of Latin America 152 Conclusion:Conversations in the Museum of History 184 Coda:With Dust in Our Eyes 200 Notes 205 Bibliography 231 Index 243 Acknowledgments This book began at the University of Michigan,where Rebecca J.Scott of- fered inspiration,direction,countless marginal comments,and many cups of tea.For guidance during my years in Ann Arbor,I am also grateful to Sueann Caulfield, Frederick Cooper, Fernando Coronil, Earl Lewis, Julie Skurski, and J.Mills Thornton.Jane Burbank,Matthew Connelly,Sandra Gunning, Maria Montoya,Martin Pernick,David Scobey,and Julius Scott also pro- vided valuable help as the project evolved.My time at Michigan was en- riched by friends including José Amador,Katherine Brophy-Dubois,Adrian Burgos, Laurent Dubois, Frank Guridy, Richard Kim, John McKiernan- González,Kate Masur,April Mayes,Julianne O’Brien-Pedersen,David Ped- ersen,Lara Putnam,and Kerry Ward.Paul Eiss proved once again to be the ideal roommate and friend. While at the University of Michigan,I benefited from financial support from the U.S.Department of Education/Jacob Javits Fellowship,the De- partment of History,Latin American and Caribbean Studies,the Rackham Graduate School,and the Center for Afro-American and African Studies. A Fulbright Scholarship administered by the Council for International Ex- change of Scholars enabled my final year of research in Panama and Colombia.