One of the world’s most complex regions hosted the humble Southerner’s biggest triumph and most stinging defeat, as seen on front pages of The Washington Post.

The Canal turnover, Carter said, demonstrated “that as a large and powerful country, we are able to deal fairly and honorably with a proud but smaller sovereign nation.” To honor Carter, we explored his achievements in Latin America in a recent video explainer on his legacy in Panama.

In symbolism and substance, President Carter displayed an obsessive attention to energy. He famously installed solar panels on the roof of the White House, but more consequentially, he created the Department of Energy, and allocated what remains a record amount of funding into energy research and development.