William Walker’s 1850s Filibuster in Nicaragua

William Walker, born on May 8 1824 in Nashville, Tennessee, was a U.S. physician, lawyer and journalist who assembled a mercenary force known as “Los Immortales.” In 1855 he entered Nicaragua during the civil war between Liberal (Democratic) and Conservative (Legitimist) factions, initially invited by Liberal leaders to fight the Conservatives.

Exploiting the instability, Walker seized the city of Granada, expanded his control, organized disputed elections and was elected president on July 12 1856. He became the only U.S. citizen to hold the Nicaraguan presidency, embodying 19th‑century American expansionist ideas such as the Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny.