After World War I, the growth of international trade demonstrated the American desire to build, innovate, and explore new markets, this, coupled with global competition for control of weak territories led to the change in American foreign policy from an isolationist vision to an imperialist vision. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Imperialism is defined as the policy of extending control over foreign entities through direct or indirect political or economic intervention. Imperialism involves the practice of expanding power or sovereignty, usually through the direct acquisition of territory or by gaining political and economic control of other areas. The purpose of this essay is to analyze the role of American presidents - Roosevelt, McKinley and Wilson - in the development of American imperialism. One reason President Roosevelt is an important factor in American imperialism is due to his influence on the Panama Canal. and its Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The Panama Canal was Roosevelt's most significant achievement as it fully embodied American imperialism. In other words, it was necessary to intervene in the affairs of weaker nations so that Roosevelt could have a stable and orderly economy and presence in the world. When the Colombian government proved difficult to negotiate, Roosevelt sponsored a nationwide uprising by Panamanian separatists and forced Columbia to agree to the creation of an independent republic of Panama. This was virtually a "puppet state" under American direction and allowed the canal to be dominated by American regulation. Roosevelt expounded the Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which held that the United States has the right to “exercise international police power” in Latin America if “flagrant cases of wrongdoing or impotence” occur. This was done to demonstrate to the world that the United States was a power to be reckoned with. This was a major shift in American policy as Roosevelt virtually modified the Monroe Doctrine to justify his interventionist policy in forcing Panama's independence in order to ensure American control of the Panama Canal. It also shows the influence of America as they were able to control a state. Another reason for the prominence of Roosevelt's imperialism was due to his collaborations with Alfred Thayer Mahan on US naval bases. Mahan was a close friend of Roosevelt, and so Roosevelt accepted Mahan's arguments that by investing in China, the United States could build naval bases and thus America would have a more "advanced" foreign policy based on modern sea power. By expanding the US Navy, America would appear more powerful to other countries with great maritime power that would be able to defend itself against attacks from other powers, especially European powers, and could join the list of world powers. Along with President Roosevelt, President McKinley was imperialistic with his influence on Cuba. When Cuban nationalists began a revolt against Spanish rule in 1895, they received significant support from American sympathizers. The US government did not want to engage in Cuba, however, when the Spanish ambassador criticized McKinley, he felt he had no choice but to go to war. Congress passed the Teller Amendment which guaranteed that Cuba would not become a U.S. colony. American forces invaded Cuba and emerged victorious. Subsequently, however, the Platt amendment.