Changes and Evolution in Panama


Changes and Evolution in Panama

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Written by Administrator

Friday, October 20 2006

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Berthold Seemann was an explorer and naturalist who traveled to the isthmus of Panama in 1849 to take samples of the region's flora and fauna for further study. Along his journey he used a journal to record what he encountered in Panamanian towns in the mid-19th century. The accounts he left behind proved to be an invaluable resource to both amateur and professional historians alike who seek to learn more about the Panama of yesteryear. When this intrepid explorer came to Panama, it was under the jurisdiction of New Granada and had a total population of around 130,000. Many of the observations Seemann made about Panama still hold true today over one hundred and fifty years later.

Unlike modern Panama which consists of seven provinces, the Panama Seemann visited was made up of only two provinces: Panama and Veraguas and the territories of Darien and Bocas Del Toro. The provinces were governed by a prefect and from these provinces, cantons were carved out. The electoral system of Panama back then was severely flawed because only landowners could vote. There were only 114 electors in the whole region that elected the president, vice president, high officials and representatives to the Granadian Congress.

Lets look at some of the descriptions given to some of Panama's cities. First we go to David. In his journal, Seemann wrote that the city of David contained only six hundred white washed houses built from entirely from wood and clay and were generally no more than one story high. There were only several streets at the time and all were in good condition and looked well kept. There was one church that stood in the center of the public square where the government offices were situated. In 1843 according to official statements, the town contained 4321 inhabitants. However, between the year of the census and when Seemann visited the town, lots of French, Italian, and North American immigrants started to settle in David. With this growth, most scholars put the population more closely to 5,000. As today, the population of David is about 125,000.

The city of Santiago is located in present day Veraguas Province and has a population of roughly 36,000 people. In 1849 Santiago was located in what was known as the canton of Santiago de Veraguas. Seeman noticed that some of the streets were paved with petrified wood. The population then was 5,000, with the majority being of pure Spanish ancestry. Most people in the town bred cattle, manufactured hammocks, and made Panama Hats. Some of the wealthier families invested in mining endeavors.

When Seemann visited the Canton of Portobelo he described it much like I would when I visited the town three months ago. Portobelo is situated at the foot of a mountain. The town consisted of a road which circled the bay. The road, although paved over, still exists. The principal inhabitants in 1849, were people of African and mixed African Descent and that still holds true today. The climate as he put it, “was not fit for Europeans and was miserable. The place is almost always enveloped in vapor, arising from the rank vegetation of the neighborhood, or deluged with rain.” When I visited, it was indeed misty and rainy, as that part of the country gets rain on a daily basis and does not follow the rainy-dry season like most of the country.

When Seeman came to Panama City he noted that its appearance was different than that of the rest of the country. He noted that unlike other places in the country, houses in Panama City were built out of stone or brick and the roofs were tiled and not thatched. There were numerous churches and the buildings were tall. In addition there were massive walls encircling the city and just like today, the major streets ran east-west.

Even over a century and a half these cities have retained their character as Seemann described them. Take a stroll down any older part of Panama City and you will see tiled roofs and buildings made from stone or brick. In Veraguas province many people today still make their living from cattle ranching. And in Portobelo, most of the inhabitants just like in the 1849 are of African Descent.

1. Seeman, Berthold. 1853. Narrative of the Voyage of the H.M.S. Herald. Vol I, Chapter XVII.

2. Seeman, Berthold, Ibid