The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty was a diplomatic agreement between the United States and Great Britain, ratified in 1850. This pact addressed the construction of a canal across Central America. Specifically, it stipulated that neither nation would have exclusive control over any future canal. Furthermore, it prevented either nation from colonizing or fortifying any Central American territory.
This agreement was significant because it reflected the growing influence of the United States in the Western Hemisphere and its desire to avoid European entanglement in its sphere of influence. It also highlighted the strategic importance of a trans-isthmian canal for global trade and military mobility. The treaty temporarily resolved tensions between the US and Britain over Central American dominance, but its limitations later became a source of diplomatic friction as US power continued to rise.
