The Walker Lessons

In 1856, US adventurer William Walker (1824-60) and a gang of fifty-eight mercenaries, tied to Vanderbilt's rivals, arrived in Nicaragua to help the local Liberal Party in its political dispute with the Conservatives. What happened was one of the most bizarre events in American history. Walker led a coup d'etat and declared himself president of Nicaragua. Vanderbilt, never one to run away from financing violence against his enemies, helped turn the tide against Walker, who resigned, fled and was subsequently shot in Honduras (pictured) in the midst of mounting another plot to retake Nicaragua. This action took place during the course of two years.
The fact that an American entrepreneur could induce the US government to act against a supposedly sovereign state, and that a US filibusterer, as Walker was then known, could invade and take over a country, left an indelible impression on Nicaraguans—one that was passed on to future generations.

THE GUERRILLA WARS OF CENTRAL AMERICA, Saul Landau