Take the Land, Not the People · Episode 6 of 8 · 46 min
President Walker: Nicaragua and the Empire of Slavery
Walker failed in Mexico and tried again in Nicaragua, and this time he won. For ten months an American ruled a Central American republic, reopened slavery, and made an enemy of the richest man in America. The episode follows the seizure of Granada, Walker's inauguration, U.S. recognition, the slavery decree and the war with Cornelius Vanderbilt, then the Central American coalition led by Costa Rica that defeated him.
Who's who
- William Walker+2 more episodesAmerican filibuster who became president of Nicaragua
- Patricio RivasNicaraguan notable Walker installed as provisional president
- Cornelius VanderbiltShipping magnate who helped strangle Walker's regime
- Juan Rafael Mora PorrasCosta Rican president who rallied the coalition
- Franklin Pierce+2 more episodesU.S. president who recognized Walker's regime
- Charles Henry DavisNavy commander to whom Walker surrendered
- Juan SantamariaCosta Rican whose death at Rivas entered national memory
Where it happens
- Granada, NicaraguaConservative capital captured by Walker in 1855
- Rivas, NicaraguaSite of the 1856 battle
Timeline
- October 13, 1855Walker captures Granada.
- February 27, 1856Costa Rica declares war on Walker.
- May 20, 1856President Pierce recognizes Walker's regime.
- July 12, 1856Walker is inaugurated president after a fraudulent election.
- September 22, 1856Walker decrees the reinstatement of slavery.
- May 1, 1857Walker surrenders to the U.S. Navy and is repatriated.
Still debated
Historians weight ideology, Vanderbilt's transit concession and Nicaraguan civil-war politics differently as the prime mover. The 'poisoned wells' claim is a contested partisan allegation, and cholera was endemic to the campaign.
