One of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century, the Panama Canal became a beacon that connected 160 countries and 1,700 ports from around the world to the Western Hemisphere. The construction of such a useful and effective trade root helped propel America into the position as a military and now economical world power that was the leading nation in trade.

During the U.S. involvement in the Spanish-American War, naval operations in the region convinced President Theodore Roosevelt that America needed to control a trade canal in the Western Hemisphere.