Historical Controversies

Filibuster in Nicaragua, Part 6: William Walker vs. Cornelius Vanderbilt

Historical Controversies Podcast: Season 2
Chris Calton

Season 2, Episode 19. As William Walker struggles to maintain his control of Nicaragua, the Latin American Allies working with Cornelius Vanderbilt are finally able to dethrone the self-appointed “President of Nicaragua,” finally ending the American endeavor at conquering Nicaragua and the surrounding countries. This episode is Part 6 of 6 in the story of William Walker’s attempt at establishing his own Republic of Nicaragua.

Clarification: I claim that the Sharps rifle had a range of "twenty football fields". A listener pointed out that Wikipedia lists an effective firing range of only 500 yards, and a maximum range of 1,000 yards. In Tycoon’s War, Stephen Dando-Collins writes, "The Hondurans thought they were out of range, but the Sharps rifle had a range of two thousand yards." Neither Wikipedia nor Dando-Collins offer a citation for their range estimates, so I don’t know which one is correct, but I was referencing Dando-Collins for my claim.