What Was the Major Reason the United States Constructed the Panama

What was the major reason the United States constructed the Panama Canal?

A) to give the United States strategic and commercial advantages in the Western Hemisphere by connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
B) to find a shorter sea route to transport Protestant American missionaries to Asia
C) to send battleships needed by Russia in its war against Japan
D) to bring democracy to Panama after instigating a rebellion against the autocratic Colombian government