Back in the 1890s,

Alfred Thayer Mahan, the naval strategist, had laid down what he saw as the three prerequisites for the United States to become a great naval power.

A naval base in Hawaii, a naval base in Cuba, and a canal across Central America.

In the White House, Mahan's acolyte, Theodore Roosevelt, must have been looking over his checklist.

Naval base in Hawaii? Check.

Naval base in Cuba? We're working on it.

Let's see.

Canal across Central America.

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

The 20th century. Episode 21. A man, a plan, a canal, Panama.

First of all, let's get caught up on the situation in Cuba.

As you may recall, back when Congress passed the Declaration of War

against Spain in 1898, Colorado Senator Henry Teller introduced an amendment which Congress

attached to the declaration, disavowing any American intention to annex or otherwise control Cuba.

But after the treaty with Spain was ratified,

Cuba remained under American military government for the next three and a half years. During that time,

Theodore Roosevelt's former commanding officer, Leonard Wood, who, you may recall, was a physician,

remained in Cuba.

He helped work the problem of yellow fever and other tropical diseases, which were killing and incapacitating more American soldiers than the Spanish ever had, and was eventually made

military governor of Cuba.

Wood organized a constitutional convention, which completed a new Cuban

Constitution by 1901, based on the United States Constitution. That same year, the American

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