Empire by Invitation : William Walker and Manifest Destiny in Central America

Michel Gobat Traces The Untold Story Of The Rise And Fall Of The First U.s. Overseas Empire To William Walker, A Believer In The Nation's Manifest Destiny To Spread Its Blessings Not Only Westward But Abroad As Well. In The 1850s Walker And A Small Group Of U.s. Expansionists Migrated To Nicaragua Determined To Forge A Tropical Empire Of Liberty. His Quest To Free Central American Masses From Allegedly Despotic Elites Initially Enjoyed Strong Local Support From Liberal Nicaraguans Who Hoped U.s.-style Democracy And Progress Would Spread Across The Land. As Walker's Group Of Filibusters Proceeded To Help Nicaraguans Battle The Ruling Conservatives, Their Seizure Of Power Electrified The U.s. Public And Attracted Some 12,000 Colonists, Including Moral Reformers. But What Began With Promises Of Liberation Devolved Into A Reign Of Terror. After Two Years, Walker Was Driven Out. Nicaraguans' Initial Embrace Of Walker Complicates Assumptions About U.s. Imperialism. Empire By Invitation Refuses To Place Walker Among American Slaveholders Who Sought To Extend Human Bondage Southward. Instead, Walker And His Followers, Most Of Whom Were Northerners, Must Be Understood As Liberals And Democracy Promoters. Their Ambition Was To Establish A Democratic State By Force. Much Like Their Successors In Liberal-internationalist And Neoconservative Foreign Policy Circles A Century Later In Washington, D.c., Walker And His Fellow Imperialists Inspired A Global Anti-u.s. Backlash. Fear Of A Northern Colossus Precipitated A Hemispheric Alliance Against The United States And Gave Birth To The Idea Of Latin America.-- Introduction -- The Apple In Our Eden -- Inviting The Filibusters -- Walker Is The United States -- The Colonists -- Imagined Empire -- Creating A Filibuster State -- The Promise Of Development -- Filibuster Revolution -- The Fall -- Epilogue. Michel Gobat. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Michel Gobat traces the untold story of the rise and fall of the first U.S. overseas empire to William Walker, a believer in the nation's manifest destiny to spread its blessings not only westward but abroad as well. In the 1850s Walker and a small group of U.S. expansionists migrated to Nicaragua determined to forge a tropical "empire of liberty." His quest to free Central American masses from allegedly despotic elites initially enjoyed strong local support from liberal Nicaraguans who hoped U.S.-style democracy and progress would spread across the land. As Walker's group of "filibusters" proceeded to help Nicaraguans battle the ruling conservatives, their seizure of power electrified the U.S. public and attracted some 12,000 colonists, including moral reformers. But what began with promises of liberation devolved into a reign of terror. After two years, Walker was driven out. Nicaraguans' initial embrace of Walker complicates assumptions about U.S. imperialism. Empire by Invitation refuses to place Walker among American slaveholders who sought to extend human bondage southward. Instead, Walker and his followers, most of whom were Northerners, must be understood as liberals and democracy promoters. Their ambition was to establish a democratic state by force. Much like their successors in liberal-internationalist and neoconservative foreign policy circles a century later in Washington, D.C., Walker and his fellow imperialists inspired a global anti-U.S. backlash. Fear of a "northern colossus" precipitated a hemispheric alliance against the United States and gave birth to the idea of Latin America."-- Provided by publisher Michel Gobat traces the untold story of the rise and fall of thefirst U.S. overseas empire to William Walker, a believer in thenation's manifest destiny to spread its blessings not only westwardbut abroad as well. In the 1850s Walker and a small group of U.S.expansionists migrated to Nicaragua determined to forge a tropical"empire of liberty." His quest to free Central American masses fromallegedly despotic elites initially enjoyed strong local supportfrom liberal Nicaraguans who hoped U.S.-style democracy andprogress would spread across the land. As Walker's group of"filibusters" proceeded to help Nicaraguans battle the rulingconservatives, their seizure of power electrified the U.S. publicand attracted some 12,000 colonists, including moral reformers. Butwhat began with promises of liberation devolved into a reign ofterror. After two years, Walker was driven out. Nicaraguans'initial embrace of Walker complicates assumptions about U.S.imperialism. Empire by Invitation refuses to place Walkeramong American slaveholders who sought to extend human bondagesouthward. Instead, Walker and his followers, most of whom wereNortherners, must be understood as liberals and democracypromoters. Their ambition was to establish a democratic state byforce. Much like their successors in liberal-internationalist andneoconservative foreign policy circles a century later inWashington, D.C., Walker and his fellow imperialists inspired aglobal anti-U.S. backlash. Fear of a "northern colossus"precipitated a hemispheric alliance against the United States andgave birth to the idea of Latin America Cover ......Page 0 Title Page ......Page 4 Copyright ......Page 5 Dedication ......Page 6 Contents ......Page 8 Introduction......Page 12 1. “The Apple in Our Eden” ......Page 23 2. Inviting the Filibusters ......Page 57 3. “Walker Is the United States” ......Page 86 4. The Colonists ......Page 113 5. Imagined Empire ......Page 150 6. Creating a Filibuster State ......Page 175 7. The Promise of Development ......Page 201 8. Filibuster Revolution ......Page 226 9. The Fall ......Page 263 Epilogue......Page 291 Abbreviations ......Page 306 Notes ......Page 308 Acknowledgments ......Page 364 Index ......Page 368