Clayton-Bulwer Treaty
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Signed in 1850 by the United States and the United Kingdom, the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty was an agreement that both nations were not to colonize or control any Central American republic. The purpose was to prevent one country from building a canal across Central America that the other would not be able to use. If a canal were built, it would be protected by both nations for neutrality and security. Any canal built would be open to all nations on equal terms. The French began building the Panama Canal in 1880.