Roosevelt was responsible for the building of the Panama Canal. This canal was very important to the United States because it greatly decreased travel time from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast. Prior to the Panama Canal, a ship had to travel all the way around South America. With the Panama Canal, a ship could travel through Panama and greatly reduce shipping time. In business, time is money. Now, Teddy Roosevelt knew how important that canal was for the United States. So, he simply ordered it done. He did not wait to ask Congress to decide
