• Colombia would have been traded $10 million and an annual fee for the land where the U.S. would build the canal(Motivation for Colombia).

• Shipment of goods would have been easier.

• It would have brought jobs to engineers. 

• Without it, the Atlantic fleet would have been forced to sail all around South America if it had needed to come to the aid of the Pacific fleet in the Philippines.

• The U.S. would have gained full control of that area.

• Panama was given diplomatic recognition.

• It took more than ten years to complete.

• Thousands of people died building it.

• The cost to build it was $400 million.