Bryan-Chamorro Treaty
Encyclopedia
The Bryan-Chamorro Treaty was signed on August 5, 1914 under the approval of the Taft administration. The Wilson administration changed the treaty by adding a provision similar in language to that of the Platt Amendment
, which would have authorized U.S. military intervention in Nicaragua. The United States Senate opposed the new provision; in response, it was dropped and the treaty was formally ratified on June 19, 1916.
From 1912 to 1925, the United States had amicable relations with the Nicaraguan government because of friendly conservative party presidents Adolfo Diaz
, Emiliano Chamorro, and Diego Manuel Chamorro
. In exchange for political concessions from the presidents, the United States provided the military strength to ensure the Nicaraguan government internal stability.
The Treaty was named after the principal negotiators:William Jennings Bryan
, U. S. Secretary of State; and then General Emiliano Chamorro
, representing the Nicaraguan government. By the terms of the Treaty, the United States acquired the rights to any canal built in Nicaragua in perpetuity, a renewable ninety-nine year option to establish a naval base in the Gulf of Fonseca
, and a renewable ninety-nine year lease to the Great and Little Corn Islands
in the Caribbean
. For these concessions, Nicaragua received three million dollars.
Most of the three million dollars was paid back to foreign creditors by the United States officials in charge of Nicaraguan financial affairs. This allowed the Nicaraguan government to avoid having to pay from its internal revenue the loans it acquired from foreign banks. This debt was amassed by the Nicaraguan government for internal development due to the devastation inflicted from several civil wars waged years prior.
The United States and Nicaragua held a convention on July 14, 1970 that officially abolished the treaty and all its provisions.
opened in 1914, the Nicaragua route has been reconsidered. Its construction would shorten the water distance between New York
and San Francisco by nearly 800 kilometres (497.1 mi). The Bryan-Chamorro Treaty kept Nicaragua from competing with the Panama Canal.
and Costa Rica
. The Central American Court of Justice saw in the favor of the two countries. The United States ignored the decision, contributing significantly to the court's collapse in 1918.
Platt Amendment
The Platt Amendment of 1901 was a rider appended to the Army Appropriations Act presented to the U.S. Senate by Connecticut Republican Senator Orville H. Platt replacing the earlier Teller Amendment. Approved on May 22, 1903, it stipulated the conditions for the withdrawal of United States troops...
, which would have authorized U.S. military intervention in Nicaragua. The United States Senate opposed the new provision; in response, it was dropped and the treaty was formally ratified on June 19, 1916.
From 1912 to 1925, the United States had amicable relations with the Nicaraguan government because of friendly conservative party presidents Adolfo Diaz
Adolfo Díaz
Adolfo Díaz Recinos was the President of Nicaragua between 9 May 1911 and 1 January 1917 and between 14 November 1926 and 1 January 1929...
, Emiliano Chamorro, and Diego Manuel Chamorro
Diego Manuel Chamorro Bolaños
Diego Manuel Chamorro Bolaños was the President of Nicaragua between 1 January 1921 and 12 October 1923. He belonged to the Conservative Party of Nicaragua and was a member of the politically powerful Chamorro family...
. In exchange for political concessions from the presidents, the United States provided the military strength to ensure the Nicaraguan government internal stability.
The Treaty was named after the principal negotiators:William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
, U. S. Secretary of State; and then General Emiliano Chamorro
Emiliano Chamorro Vargas
Emiliano Chamorro Vargas was the President of Nicaragua from 1 January 1917 to 1 January 1921 and again from 14 March 1926 to 11 November 1926....
, representing the Nicaraguan government. By the terms of the Treaty, the United States acquired the rights to any canal built in Nicaragua in perpetuity, a renewable ninety-nine year option to establish a naval base in the Gulf of Fonseca
Gulf of Fonseca
The Gulf of Fonseca , part of the Pacific Ocean, is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.-History:Fonseca Bay was discovered in 1522 by Gil Gonzalez de Avila, and named by him after his patron, Archbishop Juan Fonseca, the implacable enemy of Columbus.In 1849, E. G...
, and a renewable ninety-nine year lease to the Great and Little Corn Islands
Corn Islands
The Corn Islands are two islands about east off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, constituting one of 12 municipalities of the Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur department...
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. For these concessions, Nicaragua received three million dollars.
Most of the three million dollars was paid back to foreign creditors by the United States officials in charge of Nicaraguan financial affairs. This allowed the Nicaraguan government to avoid having to pay from its internal revenue the loans it acquired from foreign banks. This debt was amassed by the Nicaraguan government for internal development due to the devastation inflicted from several civil wars waged years prior.
The United States and Nicaragua held a convention on July 14, 1970 that officially abolished the treaty and all its provisions.
Intended impact
At various times since the Panama CanalPanama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
opened in 1914, the Nicaragua route has been reconsidered. Its construction would shorten the water distance between New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and San Francisco by nearly 800 kilometres (497.1 mi). The Bryan-Chamorro Treaty kept Nicaragua from competing with the Panama Canal.
Unintended impact
The provision of the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty granting rights to United States in the Corn Islands was contested by El SalvadorEl Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. The Central American Court of Justice saw in the favor of the two countries. The United States ignored the decision, contributing significantly to the court's collapse in 1918.