Question

Why did President Roosevelt send troops to support Panamanian rebels in the fight against Colombia? He wanted to free the Panamanians from Colombian imperialism. He wanted the Colombians to grant the United States the right to build a canal. He wanted the Panamanians to build a canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. He wanted to get the rights to build a canal in Panama at a lower price.

Answer 1

Answer:

President Roosevelt send troops to support Panamanian rebels in the fight against Colombia because he wanted the Colombians to grant the United States the right to build a canal.

Explanation:

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the United States began pursuing imperialist policies, with the goal of expanding across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. For this, it required an effective inter-oceanic passage, which would avoid having to travel all over South America to be able to pass from one ocean to the other through the Strait of Magellan.

Therefore, when the French failed in their attempt to build a canal in Panama, the narrowest region in Central America that at that time belonged to Colombia, the United States saw its opportunity and decided to retake the project. The problem was that a large part of Colombian politics saw this project as an American meddling in their territories and their national politics, which is why they did not grant concession. For this reason, through the prowess of pro-independence groups and the direct participation through its navy, the United States supported the independence of Panama as an independent nation, the one that would benefit economically with the construction of the canal. Thanks to this support, in 1903 Panama proclaimed its independence and in 1914 the Panama Canal was inaugurated by the United States.