The Rise of the Idea
As a president, Roosevelt believed in expanding the American power in the world. To do this, he wanted a strong navy and a way for the navy to sail quickly between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. As a believer in the importance of sea power, Roosevelt felt that the nation controlling a canal, would be a mighty force in the world.
“ No single great material work which remains to be undertaken on this continent is of such consequence to the American people as the Panama Canal.”
-Theodore Roosevelt, Library of congress.