World Power: The Panama Canal

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Through the construction of the Panama Canal, the United States was asserted as a world power. The canal allowed easy access to new territories gained from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. During the time of the US’s rise to world power, many new territories were acquired through imperialism. Some of these include Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Midway Islands. With a shortcut through Panama, US ships could easily travel from ocean to ocean, providing the advantage of sea control. Former citizen of Panama and author Ovidio Diaz-Espino states, “the Canal was a geopolitical strategy to make the United States the most powerful nation on earth” (pbs.org). The Panama Canal was built in such a judicious area, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans,

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