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Panama Canal Imperialism

Decent Essays

At the dawn of the 20th century, the United States of America entered the imperialistic race taking place in the rest of the world. Imperialism is defined as a way of extending a country’s power, influence, and wealth by means of diplomacy or military force. At this time, other countries around the world were determining their amount of power in the rest of the world. These countries include France, England, Germany, and a few others. The United States, being a new country, were not a part of this race and was often not viewed as a power at all even though they had the potential of being one. When the race first started, the United States held back. They did not join until much later on when they decided that they needed to increase their power, …show more content…

A part of the definition of imperialism is a country extending their ability and powers to increase their economy. The United States did this by creating the Panama Canal, which they used as a naval short cut. Before the Panama Canal exist, anytime that goods needed to be imported or exported ships carrying them had to travel around the tip of South America. This was often a dangerous, expensive, and time consuming trip. The Panama Canal opened up an optimal passage that prevented any further issues for the United States. They could now easily send goods throughout the United States easily via ships, but they could also do so with the rest of the world in a much easier way than before. The United States clearly exercised and enhanced their ability by making the canal and therefore benefitted their economy …show more content…

Before the canal was built, the United States did not hold much a distinction in the world or a lot of influence. Once the canal was built, the United States could share their goods and culture with the rest of the world in a way they could not before. News as well as ideas could be shared faster. This is an example of a nation spreading influence through their diplomacy, which is a part of the definition of imperialism. This made the United States look more desirable and noticeable as a nation. These factors increased their influence and power in the rest of the world because they were finally viewed as a leading

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