Abstract:
The topic that I will be looking at for my project is the actions of William Walker and his militiamen in Nicaragua in the 1850s. Often Walker’s actions are grouped in with general U.S. government-sponsored imperialism towards Latin America during this time period. In my argument, I want to make a point that Walker was a private citizen but still served as a representative of U.S.-sponsored culture and attitude towards Latin America. I also argue that his actions show that the U.S. could not handle its own expansion, in that private citizens separate from the federal government were starting to invade and conquer lands. For my primary sources, I will be using several different materials in relation to Walker. Primary sources written by both Walker himself and his supporters will be used in order to contextualize what he was thinking in terms of his intentions and how he wished to portray them. As well, primary sources from his opposition will be used to further context, such as monuments dedicated to Walker’s defeat. The larger significance of Walker’s invasion and war he waged in Nicaragua represents a fascinating element of imperialism that the U.S. was adopting: the fact that the U.S. could not handle its own expansion.
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