Millard Fillmore

Birth-Death: (1800 - 1874 ) Term: (1850-1853 )

During Fillmore's presidency the United States negotiated a treaty with Great Britain about a possibility of a canal being built across Central America.

Foreign Events of Millard Fillmore

    As a result of the treaty with Columbia during the Mexican war, the United States had exclusive transit rights to a possible canal across Panama. This increased tensions between the United States and Great Britain, because Panama was the shortest feasible route across Central America.

    Hostility continued to increase until 1850 when the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty was signed. This treaty called for a mutually benefiting arrangement if a canal were to be built. Any canal would be open to ships of all nations on equal terms. Before any construction is to begin, the country in question would need to give permission for both the canal to be built and for its neutrality to be guaranteed by the United States and Great Britain.