Adventurer, Filibuster. Born in Nashville, Tennessee. With degrees in medicine and law, he failed to find success practicing law. In 1853 he gained notoriety by attempting to seize and govern the Mexican province of Lower California. In 1855 he led a small band of mercenaries to Nicaragua, and after overthrowing the government, he briefly served as President from 1857 to 1857. With visions of uniting all the Central American republics under his control, he announced plans to build a canal linking the Atlantic and the Pacific, but he was ousted in 1857 by agents of Cornelius Vanderbilt, whose commercial interests he had opposed; an attempt to return to Nicaragua later that year was foiled. In 1860, he landed in Honduras with yet another scheme to seize power; but he was arrested, and after a Honduran court martial, was shot by a firing squad.
Adventurer, Filibuster. Born in Nashville, Tennessee. With degrees in medicine and law, he failed to find success practicing law. In 1853 he gained notoriety by attempting to seize and govern the Mexican province of Lower California. In 1855 he led a small band of mercenaries to Nicaragua, and after overthrowing the government, he briefly served as President from 1857 to 1857. With visions of uniting all the Central American republics under his control, he announced plans to build a canal linking the Atlantic and the Pacific, but he was ousted in 1857 by agents of Cornelius Vanderbilt, whose commercial interests he had opposed; an attempt to return to Nicaragua later that year was foiled. In 1860, he landed in Honduras with yet another scheme to seize power; but he was arrested, and after a Honduran court martial, was shot by a firing squad.
Bio by: Erik Lander
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