How Wall Street Created a Nation

Panama was created by a group of Wall Street investors in Room 1162 of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. This meeting brought down the French Republic, the Columbian government and shook the almost invincible Teddy Roosevelt and gave birth to American imperialism in Latin America. This book details the financial speculation, fraud, and international conspiracy that led to the creation of the Panama Canal. The author meticulously lays out the dark alliance among a French company, Teddy Roosevelt, and a secretive syndicate of Wall Street financiers that masterminded a coup in Colombia and the secession of Panama in 1903, setting the US foreign policy precedent for the 20th century and beyond.