Question

The main reason the United States decided to build a canal across Panama instead of Nicaragua was that:

Answer 1

The United States chose Panama for the canal due to strategic and political factors, including a shorter route and complex negotiations after Panama's independence from Colombia.

Step-by-step explanation:

The main reason the United States decided to build a canal across Panama rather than Nicaragua was due to strategic and political considerations. The shorter route through Panama was favored over the potentially easier but longer route through Nicaragua. This decision came after a series of complex events, including the U.S. Pacific Fleet's long detour during the Spanish-American War, considerations of trade, and the failed French attempt to build a canal. When the U.S. took over the project, the newly independent Panama, rather than Colombia, negotiated the terms for the Canal Zone with the United States. Ultimately, Roosevelt's intervention in Panama and the subsequent rejection of the Colombian deal made clear that the U.S. would pursue its global strategic interests, sometimes at the expense of relationships with its neighbors in the Western Hemisphere.

Answer 2

The main reason the United States decided to build a canal across Panama instead of Nicaragua was that both the land and the building rights were far less expansive.