Impact on the Military
Throughout the United States history, the United States Army has always been extremely involved in developing nations. Their goals were to secure the United States’ independence as well as help support the union and defend the nation against foreign forces. To do this, the United States army needed a better and more efficient way to travel around the world. At one point, the militaries would travel from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean by going all the way around South America and turning back north. However, after the Spanish-American war, the need for a quicker way was large. After decades of pushing for a canal, the United States finally was able to begin the construction of the canal. However, the United States Army never thought that they would go as far as aiding in the technological revolution, in directly. Next thing the army knew was they were beginning to help maintain the ports and waterways and becoming more involved in civil engineering and electronic communications. In the early 1900s, the army would achieve a significant role in the construction of the Panama Canal.The army would help turn the dream of a canal into reality. In result of this event, the army was not only impacted by their need for a canal, but were impacted by the aid they gave to build the canal.
Impact on the United States
For the United States, the Panama Canal changed the physical attributes of the United States ports and their ability to move goods. Not only that, but affected their dependence on other infrastructures to have access to inland markets. Through this influence, the Panama Canal would affect the United States trade and the cost of shipping through the canal. United States trade would now be directed through all-water routes between the United States East coast along with Gulf and foreign ports so that they are able to create a cost-competitive service. In addition, with the Panama Canal, it has made the average size of the vessels on the West Coast expand and almost double because with the Panama Canal, shipping companies no longer have to travel all the way around South America and they can direct the money they once were using to travel around South America to finance faster and larger ships that would fit through the Panama Canal. In simpler words, the Panama Canal impacted the United States because after the construction, trading became easier and faster which allowed the United States to expand on trade. Companies no longer had to spend millions of dollars on transportation, instead they could just build larger and faster ships
Impacts on Economics
Economically, the Panama Canal has been beneficial for the jobs that it has created, in addition to the income that the job comes with. This is significant for the United States because every day, the United States exports and imports through the Canal. Nearly 10% of all United States shipping goes through the Canal. Because of these exports and imports, they create jobs for United States citizens and allows them to have an opportunity, not just in exports in shippings, but in creating the products, packaging the products, etc. Jobs go further than imports and exports. As the only superpower in the world, imports and exports are each large components in the United States’ economy because they make money for the nation as well as provide goods for the citizens within the nation, giving them the necessities of life. The United States does everything it can to make sure that not only its own economy runs smoothly, but the world’s economy continues to run smoothly because if something were to happen, it could affect the entire world and cause economic chaos to everyone. If anything were to happen to the Panama Canal, the United States along with the rest of the global economies could face potential economic chaos.