(A) ** The U.S. desired trade improvement between Pacific and Atlantic coasts
(B) The U.S. desired to improve diplomatic relations with South America
(C) The U.S. wanted to drain Cuba’s swamps and develop the land
(D) The Panama economy was suffering and the U.S. wanted to help them.
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -Americans knew they needed this to move ships from east to west quickly. If they did that, they would control power because they would control the oceans. The Canal was a geopolitical strategy to make the United States the most powerful nation on earth. Also, the economic impact was massive.
Concept note-2: -More than a century ago, the opening of the Panama Canal revolutionized international trade by making it much quicker and easier to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.