THE MAN WHO LOVED TO FILIBUSTER

William Walker (1824-1860) was an American doctor, law student, journalist, and imperialist. Like some other Americans of his day, he loved to filibuster (hence the title of this factoid). Back then, "filibuster" did not refer to what Democratic senators did in 2006 to attempt to derail the appointment of Samuel Alito as Supreme Court Justice; instead, it meant the conquering of foreign lands by a private American citizen in order to establish English-speaking colonies under the control of that American.

Walker's first attempt, in 1853, was to invade Baja California and the Sonora with 45 troops. He captured the town of La Paz, which he named as the capitol of his new nation, The Republic of Southern California--a country which he governed using the laws of Louisiana (which conveniently allowed slavery). After about three months, the Mexicans took umbrage and drove him back to the United States, where he stood trial for conducting an illegal war in violation of the Neutrality Act of 1794. The jurors, being red-blooded Americans in favor of Manifest Destiny, took all of eight minutes before acquitting him.

Undaunted, Walker next  turned his eyes to Nicaragua, which was in the throes of a civil war in 1854 between the Legitimist faction and the Democratic (unrelated to the US Democratic Party) faction. Walker went down to Nicaragua with sixty "colonists" (a/k/a "mercenaries") to support the Democrats. After the normal amount of bloodshed, Walker ended up ruling Nicaragua through a puppet President Patricia Rivas and eventually took over the office in his own name through a fraudulent election. U.S. President Franklin Pierce formally recognized Walker's government in 1856.

But, then, Walker really screwed the pooch. Prior to the construction of the Panama Canal in 1914, Nicaragua was a key element in getting goods and travelers between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. The cargo and passengers would arrive by ship to Nicaragua and would then be transported over inland waters and land by ship and stagecoach. The owner of this profitable route was Cornelius Vanderbilt (whose wealth back then would be equivalent to about $180 billion today). Walker attempted to open a competing railroad with the assistance of former Vanderbilt myrmidons--a foolhardy move against Vanderbilt, who had been noted for proclamations such as "Gentlemen, you have undertaken to cheat me. I won't sue you, for the law is too slow. I'll ruin you."

Vanderbilt got together with a half-dozen South American governments, organized an army in Costa Rica, and toppled Walker's regime, notwithstanding attempts by Walker to enlist aid from the southern USA by authorizing slavery in Nicaragua. Walker was exiled to the USA. He returned to the region in 1860 with the intent of establishing another one of his colonies in Honduras. He was captured by the English and turned over to the authorities in Honduras, who, probably quite prudently, executed him by firing squad.

To read more about Mr. Walker and many other colorful American personalities, check out The Mental Floss History of the United States.