1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Fellow Ridiculous Historians. One of the time honored aspects of 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: US culture is to always make fun of people in power. 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 2: Yes, of course, especially in podcasting, especially. 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: In podcasting, sketch comedy, in cafes the nation round. There 5 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: is a guy named William Walker. We would love to 6 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: introduce you to him if you haven't heard our classic 7 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:37,560 Speaker 1: episode from twenty eighteen in his Halcyon days. You know 8 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: he was an American hero because he was seen like 9 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: some kind of military version of Rocky or what's that 10 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: football film, Rudy Rudy. 11 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 2: Yes, of course, the underdog. Always root for the underdog. 12 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, William Walker keeps trying to invade different parts of 13 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: Mexico and Nicarock and keeps failing. 14 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, you got to fail a bunch to become 15 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 2: an underdog. I suppose did he ever rise above underdog status? Well? 16 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: Uh no, not really. 17 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 2: Okay, Well, why don't you hear more about that in 18 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:17,119 Speaker 2: this classic episode. 19 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome to the show, 20 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: fellow Ridiculous Historians. Going to open today with a question, 21 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: and I don't know the most diplomatic way to phrase this, 22 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: but what's the ballsiest thing you ever did? 23 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 2: Well, Ben, Today's episode's all about diplomacy. You really set 24 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 2: the tone properly, asking the audience asking me. 25 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: I'm asking the audience and I'm asking you. 26 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 2: No ballsiest thing I ever did? 27 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: And super producer Casey Pegram feel free to chime in again. 28 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: For the three of us, it might be a little 29 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: bit different because we have a caveat. We're saying the 30 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: ballsiest thing we ever did that we're willing to admit 31 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: on air. 32 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 2: Mmm. That narrows the pool a little bit, my friend, 33 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 2: I don't know. I once gosh when you put it 34 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 2: like that, Ben, I just don't have a good answer, 35 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 2: and it really makes me feel like I've squandered my life. 36 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: No way, No, We're living lives full of strange and 37 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: ridiculous adventure. Although it always does feel weird to say 38 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: ridiculous on this show, a little on the nose. But 39 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: the reason that we were thinking about this off air 40 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: is that today's episode is about a very very let's say, 41 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: self confident guy full of chutzpah who played an instrumental 42 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: role in American history. When we say America, we mean 43 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: the continents South American and North American history and It's 44 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: a guy that a lot of people don't know about. 45 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: I didn't know about him. 46 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 2: I know about I mean, I know, I knew. I 47 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 2: knew of his his type. Oh, his type, Yeah, you know, 48 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 2: imperialist swine. 49 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 1: Right, yeah, expansionist soldiers of fortune. 50 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, because who knew there apparently was a time where 51 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 2: you could just kind of take it upon yourself to, 52 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 2: you know, go forth and conquer other countries. Yeah, with 53 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: nothing but a you know, a wish and a dream. 54 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: And a posseum like minded reprobates exactly. Yeah. I was 55 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: thinking about that too. So imagine if you would have 56 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: you ever been on vacation somewhere and thought, you know what, 57 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna take a flag of another country, post 58 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: it in the ground here and declare myself in charge. 59 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: Have you ever thought about that? I've never seriously thought 60 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: about it. 61 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 2: No, doesn't seem like those rules apply anymore. I think 62 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 2: there's a little more paperwork. 63 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, but back in the time of William Walker, 64 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: there wasn't. Really. That's the subject of today's show, William Walker. 65 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: Could you give us a little introduction to this guy, Noel. 66 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, he grew up in a pretty affluent family in 67 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 2: your neck of the woods, beIN in Nashville, Tennessee, or 68 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 2: as they say around those ways, Nashville, Is that right, yeah? Yeah, 69 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 2: And he did everything from like he studied fencing, I 70 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 2: want to say, and he went to the University of 71 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,799 Speaker 2: Nashville where he graduated at the top of his class 72 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 2: by the age of fourteen, which is nuts. And then 73 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,679 Speaker 2: he earned a degree in medicine. And then he also 74 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 2: had a as if that wasn't enough, he got a 75 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 2: law degree. And he was technically, no, not technically, in 76 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,919 Speaker 2: actual facts, both a lawyer and a doctor, a law doctor. 77 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 2: Mom and dad were proud, let's just put it that way. 78 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 1: Right, And he did, as I think we may have mentioned, 79 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 1: come from a prestigious family. One of his uncles was 80 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: John Norvill, a senator from Michigan, founder of the Philadelphia Enquirer. 81 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: He had sort of a silver spoon life, but he 82 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 1: was also a very smart guy. And the thing was 83 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: he was very self assured. He practiced law, but not 84 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: for a very long time because after he was practicing 85 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: law in Philadelphia, he quit and he moved to New Orleans, 86 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 1: where he became the editor and co owner of an 87 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: outfit called the New Orleans Crescent, a paper of note, 88 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: and then that still wasn't enough, so he moved to 89 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 1: San Francisco, and in San Francisco he was a journalist, 90 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,919 Speaker 1: and his fencing also came into play. Is that right, 91 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: Well sort of. I'm pretty sure he shot people, but 92 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: he wasn't three duels. 93 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 2: Oh that's right. Oh, that's right, because he was a 94 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 2: bit of a notorious track talker, wasn't he. Yes, he 95 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 2: wrote these columns and there were a few notable figures 96 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 2: who he got into some pretty serious beefs with, isn't 97 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 2: that right? 98 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: Yeah? Yeah. He was quite a bantam figure because he 99 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 1: was only five feet two inches tall, but apparently he 100 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: would fill a room. One of his duels that gained 101 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: national attention. The first time he really broke out in 102 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: the public sphere was when he had a duel with 103 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: a guy named William Hicks Graham on January twelfth, eighteen 104 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: fifty one, in San France. 105 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think Graham was known as something of a 106 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 2: gun slinger. 107 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. So at the time Walker was the editor 108 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:46,720 Speaker 1: of the San Francisco Harold Graham was technically, for his 109 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: day job, a clerk employed by Judge Rn Morrison and 110 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: The thing is, as you said, Noel Graham was also 111 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 1: a notorious gunslinger, which you could do that back in 112 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: these days. You could be in the eighteen fifties both 113 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:05,720 Speaker 1: a clerk for a judge and a well known gunsman. 114 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 1: Gunsman is a word I just made. I'm into it, Bennet, 115 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: I support that. So what happened with this? 116 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 2: So Walker, as the editor of said newspaper of note, 117 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 2: was talking some trash about this judge Arren Morrison and dueling. 118 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 2: This is you gotta remember, this is the time of 119 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 2: like the California gold Rush and like you know, deadwood 120 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 2: and stuff like that. 121 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: Right, yeah, you know this is also I mean it 122 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: says it explicitly in books that we checked out for 123 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: the show, like Age of the Gunfighter. At the time, 124 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: dueling was a popular means of settling disputes in California. 125 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 2: Though not technically legal, right, I mean, we're pretty far 126 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 2: out west at this time. That's true, that's true. But 127 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 2: so this is the funny part. It was such a 128 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 2: popular thing that the judge actually had his clerks draw 129 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 2: straws to see who would duel on his behalf to 130 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 2: you know, defend his honor. They were beefed up. Yeah, 131 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 2: that just seems real cowardly. But I guess you know, 132 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 2: I wouldn't do that for my boss. 133 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: No, I don't, but I don't think We're in a 134 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: very pro dueling environment. 135 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 2: Well, and again, Hicks was a you know, he was 136 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 2: fond of this pastime, right, Yeah. 137 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: William Hicks. Graham had already taken part in numerous duels 138 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: in the time of the Old and Wild West, and 139 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: Walker had had some duels before, but the kind of 140 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: duels he had were duels where you use a single 141 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: shot revolver, and so you can if you just want 142 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: to defend your honor but not hurt someone. Not going 143 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: to say where this phrase is popular from. I don't 144 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: want to spoil the musical for everyone, but you can 145 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: just throw away your shot shoot in the air with 146 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: a single shot firearm. But this fight was a little 147 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: bit different because it was waged with revolvers colts specifically. 148 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, and they had five and all of them were fired. 149 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 2: And Walker took a bullet through. I don't think it 150 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 2: actually injured him, but it went through the leg as 151 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 2: this has this book describes through the leg of his pantaloons. 152 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 2: And then he also got one. Oh, he did get 153 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 2: one in the thigh. And the funny thing is is 154 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 2: that Graham got charged with aggravated assault because this was 155 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 2: in fact an illegal activity. 156 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, he was later found not guilty in no small part, 157 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 1: I think, because while Walker was shot, he was not 158 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: seriously injured. Right, That's what That's what I found. Also, 159 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: he from what I understand, Graham walked away without a scratch, 160 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: like he he got two shots off, and Walker didn't 161 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: even manage to fire a shot at Graham. And so 162 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: when he was wounded, Walker eventually conceded and as you said, 163 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: Noel Graham was arrested but found not guilty. And one 164 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 1: of the strangest things about this research, maybe want to 165 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:06,959 Speaker 1: trace the life of William Hicks Graham because in the 166 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: books we're reading about this duel, Graham goes on to 167 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: fight other duels pretty much like immediately after he gets 168 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 1: the not guilty verdict. 169 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, he's thirsty for these these gunfights, and it 170 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 2: sort of shows the kind of attitude this dude had 171 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 2: about going out and conquering stuff, you know what I mean? Hm? 172 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 1: Oh, And I want to correct myself there because I 173 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: said he wasn't seriously wounded, but I found conflicting reports. 174 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: Reports of the time described it as a trifling wound, 175 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:42,439 Speaker 1: but later historical reports described as very serious wound. I've 176 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: always assumed a gunshot is a serious wound. I would 177 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:49,959 Speaker 1: assume so well assumption. Decide. One thing that is great 178 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 1: about this duel is despite the fact that he lost 179 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: the duel, William Walker, as we said, becomes known in 180 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: the public sphere. He's in the paper, you know what 181 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: I mean, Lawyer Dulis William Walker not walking for a while. 182 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 2: That's a cute man. 183 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: It's they were very cute papers at the time. So 184 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: this is just some backgrounds about this guy. He's well off, 185 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:22,239 Speaker 1: he's a hot head. He's also not shy about his opinions, 186 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: both his opinions on slavery, he's very much in favor 187 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: of it, his opinions on the expansion of the United States, 188 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: and his opinion on how to apply his patriotism. 189 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, and he got a little bit of inspiration from 190 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 2: some stuff that was going on in Cuba. There was 191 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:46,559 Speaker 2: a dude named Narcisco Lopez who was born in Venezuela, 192 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,679 Speaker 2: and this was in eighteen fifty, by the way, and 193 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 2: he gathered up a band of mercenaries to basically try 194 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:56,319 Speaker 2: to conquer part of. 195 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:58,679 Speaker 1: Cuba and then make it part of the US. 196 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 2: Make it part of the US is annexing And what 197 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 2: is that. 198 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:05,559 Speaker 1: That that would be annexing it if it were an 199 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: authorized state action. 200 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 2: That's the thing. This guy has kind of took it 201 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 2: upon himself, Yeah, to do it, and Walker like the 202 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 2: cut of his particular jib and said, huh, interesting, I 203 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:19,440 Speaker 2: want to try something like that. 204 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 1: And this was known as filibustering for a lot of 205 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 1: a lot of us listening in the US right now today, 206 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen, as we record this in case you happened 207 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: to be listening three thousand years in the future. For 208 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 1: a lot of US, philibustering today only describes the political 209 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: practice wherein a congress person will try to put off 210 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 1: certain voting actions by just talking forever. 211 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, like we do on this podcast. 212 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: We're good at we get to the point. 213 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, we know what we do, but we're we're But 214 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 2: I feel like I could be accomplishing so much stuff 215 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 2: if I wasn't always just talking into a microphone. 216 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: I mean, you could say that about anything. Think how 217 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: many hours a day we spend sleeping fair, let's take 218 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 1: a third of your life. 219 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:07,319 Speaker 2: Wow, you put it like that. 220 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: But these weird statistics aside, and these strange definitions aside. 221 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 1: Filibustering at the time described this specific practice illegally going 222 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: into a foreign country or land and taking it over 223 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 1: by force with a usually with aposse mercenaries or like 224 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: minded people native to the region, and then declaring that 225 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,360 Speaker 1: land part of the United States. One of the big 226 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:38,440 Speaker 1: inspirations for this is the state of Texas. They had 227 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: broken off from Mexico a few years before, and they 228 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: were held up as an example of the practice of 229 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: Americans going out taking over an area and then later 230 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 1: making it a state, and filibustering, although illegal in the US, 231 00:13:57,559 --> 00:14:00,559 Speaker 1: had wide popular support because we have to remember, this 232 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: is full on expansion, this mode. 233 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 2: You know what I mean? 234 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: See the Shining Sea? 235 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:08,319 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I mean manifest that destiny, right, young man? 236 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: So where did where did Walker go? 237 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:16,439 Speaker 2: Yeah? So Walker set his sights down Mexico away, specifically 238 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 2: a couple of states, one of which was Baja California, 239 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 2: which was actually in Mexico and Sonora, and there weren't 240 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 2: a ton of folks living there at the time, so 241 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 2: he gathered a posse of I think around fifty men, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, 242 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 2: and just you know, marched his way on in there, 243 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 2: and he was able to take Lapause, which is the 244 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 2: capital of Baja and he raised his own flag that 245 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 2: he had designed himself, which I think had like three 246 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:52,760 Speaker 2: parallel stripes on it, and yeah, and you know he is, 247 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 2: like you said earlier, you sort of put down his. 248 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: Flag and say this is mine. Now the chutzpah alone. Yeah, 249 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: he named he renamed the area of the Republic of 250 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: Lower California, declared himself president, and then said the new 251 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 1: legal system will be well, we're just going to use 252 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 1: the laws of the state of Louisiana. Unless you think 253 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: he is some sort of Indiana Jones type lovable rogue character, 254 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: we should mention that there's a reason he wanted to 255 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: use the laws of the state of Louisiana. Wanted to 256 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 1: use those laws because they included legalized slavery. He was 257 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 1: again very pro slavery, and words spread in the US. 258 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: Just imagine people saying, you know, remember that editor, that 259 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: hot headed editor from San Francisco who disappeared for a while. 260 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: Well it turns out he took over Baja California for 261 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: the US and he had this massive wave of public support. 262 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 1: People would read about this story and then go volunteer 263 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: to join him a member of his military force in 264 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: the Republic of Lower California. And this is where he 265 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: got a really weird nickname. I'm talking about the gray 266 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: eyed Man of Destiny. Yeah, it doesn't quite roll off 267 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: the tongue. 268 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 2: I think it's great. I would love people called me that, 269 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 2: the gray eyed Man of Destiny. 270 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 1: It's a lot to say. It feels like it's good 271 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: to read it in print. 272 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 2: I just said it twice, and I love the way 273 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 2: it sounds. So I respectfully disagree with you, Ben. Of course, 274 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 2: of course, to each their own and noted. Now, I 275 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 2: don't think his vice president got a nickname. That was 276 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 2: his former law partner, Henry P. Watkins. 277 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: We should also mention that when he was filibustering in Mexico, 278 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: he didn't just try to take over the Baja California territory. 279 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 1: He took over another sparsely populated area, the Sonora State. 280 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I do want to say, speaking of diplomacy, 281 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 2: he did start off this whole thing by asking the 282 00:16:56,200 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 2: Mexican government to let him make a colony in these 283 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 2: areas that were kind of sparsely populated, and he referred 284 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 2: to it, according to this article from History as Now magazine, 285 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 2: that he wanted to create a buffer zone between Native 286 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 2: American and American territories. So Mexico said no, and he 287 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 2: decided to go forth with his wild plan. 288 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: And like Gregor McGregor from our earlier show, he funded 289 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 1: his project by selling script that was redeemable in the 290 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:34,879 Speaker 1: state of Sonora. Oh wow, that he would create so even. 291 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 2: More ballsy, seriously seriously. So yeah. He stated his claim 292 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:49,440 Speaker 2: in La Pause and also in Baha and also in Sonora. 293 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 1: And it didn't all go smoothly, obviously. He moved his 294 00:17:55,800 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: headquarters twice over the next ninety days or something, once 295 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: to Cabo San Lucas and then once a little further 296 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:08,439 Speaker 1: north to Ensnata, because he knew that it would be 297 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:12,359 Speaker 1: a really close fight if the Mexican government was able 298 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: to raise forces to attack. And he actually didn't get 299 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:22,359 Speaker 1: control of Sonora. He just sort of started saying that 300 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 1: the Republic of Lower California was part of the larger 301 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:29,159 Speaker 1: Republic of Sonora, even though he didn't actually control it. 302 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: It's kind of like It's like, imagine if we declared 303 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 1: ourselves the emperors of Birmingham, Alabama, despite the fact that 304 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:44,879 Speaker 1: we're not in Birmingham, Alabama. That's kind of what happened. 305 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:46,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, that sounds about right. 306 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:52,199 Speaker 1: And there was a notable series of attacks that he lost, 307 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 1: which further adds noal to the one of the themes 308 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:58,480 Speaker 1: in this guy's life, which is talking a big game 309 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: and then getting his keys handed to him. One of 310 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: those relocations he took was a consequence of him losing 311 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:09,880 Speaker 1: a skirmish to General Manuel Marquez de Leon, and so 312 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:16,640 Speaker 1: he was eventually forced to retreat from Mexico entirely. 313 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,400 Speaker 2: So it's eighteen fifty four and the Gray Eyed Man 314 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:23,440 Speaker 2: of Destiny has sort of rallied some troops to support him. 315 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 2: He actually was able to get around two hundred Mexicans 316 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 2: to back him up, along with another couple hundred folks 317 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:34,439 Speaker 2: from San Francisco, who thought this scheme of his, you know, 318 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 2: had had legs. But you know, as megalomaniacs often do, 319 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:43,879 Speaker 2: he didn't really plan this thing out very well. They 320 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:47,679 Speaker 2: didn't have enough supplies, and you know, the folks that 321 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 2: were helping him started getting restless and the Mexican government 322 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 2: wasn't having it, and they were able to really make 323 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:59,399 Speaker 2: things pretty uncomfortable for the occupying forces there in La 324 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 2: Pause Rights. 325 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,880 Speaker 1: So at the same time, this is getting domestic support 326 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: in the US, with hundreds of people wanting to join 327 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:11,640 Speaker 1: the expedition, raising the flag of the Republic of Sonora 328 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: in different streets in the US. Things are getting increasingly 329 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: hairy for Walker and co. Down there in Baja California. 330 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: And know you mentioned earlier that the supplies were an issue, right, 331 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: There's a strange thing that happens. He has a ship 332 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:32,959 Speaker 1: named the Caroline that is supposed to wait on shore 333 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 1: or bring him the AMMO and the food stuffs he 334 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:43,000 Speaker 1: needs to continue surviving the conflict, and this ship sails 335 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: away with most of his supplies. And then when two 336 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: hundred more recruits arrived from San Francisco, his supplies are 337 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,920 Speaker 1: already so low. He can't feed them, he can't arm them. 338 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 2: Wait, so they just bailed on him with his stuff. 339 00:20:57,359 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 2: The ship just left, so it was like they were deserting. Basically, 340 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:01,960 Speaker 2: they were like this is this is it. We're done, 341 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,639 Speaker 2: and we're taking your ship and your supplies and you know, 342 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:06,400 Speaker 2: go af yourself. 343 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:10,400 Speaker 1: So the most diplomatic way I found it was in 344 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:13,199 Speaker 1: an article from the Virtual Museum of the City of 345 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:19,199 Speaker 1: San Francisco by Fanny Judah that says, for some unknown reason, 346 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 1: his vessel the Caroline, sailed away with the greater part 347 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: of his supplies. So when these people show up, he 348 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: sends a group of them toward Toto Santos Bay on 349 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:33,399 Speaker 1: a foraging expedition, and he says, you know, find us 350 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 1: some food to eat, find us some cattle, et cetera. 351 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:38,439 Speaker 1: They get in a fight with the natives. This band 352 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: does because those people don't want to give up their 353 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:46,239 Speaker 1: stuff in return for script again the fake money that 354 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:49,160 Speaker 1: you can redeem in Sonora, which he does not control. 355 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 1: And since they were running low on food, they couldn't 356 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: get their plundering done successfully. The men began to desert. 357 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 1: Walker starts to rest them. He shoots two of them. 358 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 1: He has two others publicly flogged, and this makes him 359 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: even less popular, so much so that he only had 360 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: one hundred men when he started walking for Snorra or 361 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 1: moving on Snorra, and by the time they reached the 362 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: Colorado River there were only thirty five people with him. 363 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,120 Speaker 1: He's hemorrhaging supports that. 364 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,920 Speaker 2: You're just dropping like flies, man, and not a good look. 365 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 2: Not a good look for a leader and a conqueror, right. 366 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 1: Which is why you know, I think Gray Eye Man 367 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:32,640 Speaker 1: in Destiny is a good nickname. I just don't think 368 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: he deserves it. 369 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:35,880 Speaker 2: Here's the thing, though, Ben, I didn't realize this. I mean, 370 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 2: we're talking about how the laws were different, and how 371 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 2: it was a little bit easier just to kind of like, 372 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:43,639 Speaker 2: you know, go forth and conquer, but it was in 373 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 2: fact illegal, just like dueling. It was widely done, and 374 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:49,199 Speaker 2: I guess, you know, it was just kind of like 375 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:51,840 Speaker 2: if you don't get caught, but filibustering was illegal. And 376 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,879 Speaker 2: after this debacle and he returned back to San Francisco, 377 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 2: he and his remaining ten dudes or whatever got arrested 378 00:22:59,119 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 2: by the Army. 379 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: Right for violation of US neutrality laws. Exactly. So how 380 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: did this how did this trial actually go? I wonder 381 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 1: if he was able to represent himself. He was a lawyer, right, 382 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,680 Speaker 1: there's a doctor, lawyer, duellist. 383 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 2: Lawyer, dualist, imperialist, conkerer man. His business card must have 384 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 2: been extra long. 385 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 1: Do you think it was? Bone k yeah, bone line. 386 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: So The thing is, yes, he is arrested, he's tried 387 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,119 Speaker 1: for these multiple violations of US neutrality laws. But in 388 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: the US the population is still supportive of him. The 389 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:39,960 Speaker 1: trial goes to a jury, they list all the charges, 390 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: prosecution makes the argument, defense makes an argument to your point, nol, 391 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: I would be fascinated to know whether he represented himself, 392 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 1: and the jury leaves to deliberate. They come back eight 393 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 1: minutes later, and what do you think happened? They let 394 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: him go, right, Yeah, he's acquitted of all charges. He's 395 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:57,520 Speaker 1: a true America. 396 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:00,360 Speaker 2: Do you think it's because of the chutzvah keep talking 397 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:02,439 Speaker 2: about Vin? You think the people were just like, you know, 398 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 2: this guy is a real American, and why would we 399 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 2: put him away for just doing what Americans do, which is, 400 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 2: you know, going out and conquering the wilds. 401 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:14,439 Speaker 1: I think it was, you know, I think there's something 402 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: to it, honestly, because I believe that the public support 403 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: for manifest destiny and expansionism was at such a fever 404 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: pitch that people were maybe having conversations where they said, well, 405 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 1: there's a difference between what's right and what's legal sometimes 406 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: right And so after he gets away unscathed through this 407 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:42,200 Speaker 1: adventure attempting to capture Baja California and Sonora. He says, 408 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 1: you know what, I'm going to go back to practicing 409 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: law a little bit. They've got a reputation. Maybe I'll 410 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 1: just go be a lawyer. And that lasts a little 411 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: less than a year. 412 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:53,400 Speaker 2: Oh, I'm sorry, I just want to interject really quick. Man, 413 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,400 Speaker 2: I remembered something. The reason we don't hear about him 414 00:24:56,440 --> 00:25:00,720 Speaker 2: practicing medicine is because as a right out of medical school, 415 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:04,720 Speaker 2: he saw his mother die. Oh wow, very horribly. 416 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:05,719 Speaker 1: So he's traumatized. 417 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:09,200 Speaker 2: He was traumatized and turned away from ever practicing medicine. 418 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 2: So that's why the whole doctor lawyer thing didn't didn't 419 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 2: work out. He didn't really he couldn't really do the combo. There. 420 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:14,920 Speaker 1: That's a tragedy. 421 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 2: Please go on. 422 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:19,240 Speaker 1: Well, I'm setting you up to tell one of the 423 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,680 Speaker 1: strangest turns in the story. Right, he got away unscathed 424 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: from his ill fated adventures in Baja California and Snorra, 425 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:28,040 Speaker 1: and he says, you know what, I'm going to go 426 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:31,040 Speaker 1: practice law again. And that lasts for about a year, 427 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:35,119 Speaker 1: and then he gets that itch, he gets that conquering itch. Yes, 428 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: he gets that filibuster rich. 429 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 2: Oh, he needs to be filibustering every day, philibuster, and 430 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 2: so he sets his sights on Nicaragua. Weird. It's really 431 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,119 Speaker 2: really far, far, far far away from San Francisco, you know, 432 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 2: Mexico made sense, you know, on the on the border. 433 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 1: And it's sparsely populated. He also, by the way, he 434 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,479 Speaker 1: gets a lot of public support because he's saying that 435 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 1: he's setting up this buffer colony to protect people from 436 00:25:58,880 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: the Apache. 437 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:01,440 Speaker 2: That's right. That's right, because it was during the gold 438 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:02,880 Speaker 2: Rush and there was a lot of like these little 439 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 2: settlements there and Indian attacks and the like, but not 440 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:09,760 Speaker 2: the case with Nicaragua. For this, this was purely exploitative 441 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 2: on his part because Nicaragua was having some serious problems. 442 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 2: They were like in the absolute throes of a horrible 443 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 2: civil war, and there were these factions that were trying 444 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 2: to control the government of the country, and they were 445 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 2: the Leonese and the Grenadins. The Leonese were more liberal 446 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:36,200 Speaker 2: and the Grenadins were more conservative. And if I butcher 447 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:38,919 Speaker 2: that pronunciation, I don't know, you know, you got it. 448 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 2: I just don't even care anymore. Ben, you did it. 449 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:41,439 Speaker 1: You did it. 450 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 2: Good. I just don't care. Hey up man, No, no, 451 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:46,360 Speaker 2: I'm good. I just I just really, you know, pronunciations 452 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:48,360 Speaker 2: be damned well. 453 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:50,440 Speaker 1: Also, English is a living language. 454 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 2: That's just that's just a thing dumb people say they 455 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 2: mispronounced words. 456 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 1: Are you accusing? 457 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 2: No? No, yeah, you're just trying to make me feel better. 458 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:01,200 Speaker 1: No, no, it is. It is a living language. I mean, look, 459 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,560 Speaker 1: when's the last time you heard filibustering described in this way? 460 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: That's a very good word. 461 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 2: Has changed over I have never heard it actually, because 462 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:11,159 Speaker 2: we I mean, it's not even in the Webster's definition. 463 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: We're yeah, we got to break it back. I'm going 464 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 1: to start filibustering places like our local bar across the street. 465 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:20,120 Speaker 2: Where you hang out for early long time. 466 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 1: I think I think the main thing is I need 467 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:26,040 Speaker 1: a flag. It seems like flags are really key here. 468 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:27,639 Speaker 1: I need I need it. So if you were a 469 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:33,399 Speaker 1: good vexologist, which is the fancy word for flag lover, vexologist, 470 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 1: that's right, vexillologist. If you are a vexillologist one who 471 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:42,159 Speaker 1: is very familiar with the study of history, symbolism, and 472 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:45,119 Speaker 1: usage of flags, then hit us up and let us 473 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:47,800 Speaker 1: know what kind of flags we should have. I'm open 474 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: to ideas. Are you on board with this? I don't 475 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: want a pigeonhole, you know. 476 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 2: No, man, pigeonhole away. Okay, I'm malleable. I will bend 477 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 2: to your whims. 478 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: You're a gray eyed man of destiny. 479 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 2: No, that's you, buddy. I would I will follow you 480 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:01,160 Speaker 2: to the ends of the earth. 481 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 1: I would much prefer that you take the nickname gray 482 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: Eyed Manadestiny over this Walker character. 483 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 2: Oh that's very kind, member. You can be the power 484 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,440 Speaker 2: behind the gray eyed throne. Man. 485 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:15,160 Speaker 1: I just want a filibuster, which sounds like we haven't 486 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:18,240 Speaker 1: learned our lesson. We're mostly joking, except you know, let 487 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:19,959 Speaker 1: us know if you have a good idea for a flag. 488 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:25,879 Speaker 1: So Walker is aware of this situation that Noel you 489 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 1: just described in Nicaragua. The Granada faction, the more conservative faction, 490 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 1: is at the time winning winning so hard, like winning 491 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: to the nth degree, and the Leonese seem set for defeat. 492 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 1: Walker sees an opportunity in this chaos. And this is 493 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,520 Speaker 1: again we have to remember, these are the days before 494 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: the Panama Canal. So a lot of shipping went through Nicaragua. 495 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: It was a it was a tremendously important crossroads for trade. 496 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 2: Wasn't the kind of masterminded by Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was 497 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 2: like the railroad tycoon. 498 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 1: That trade position. 499 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 2: Well, I think he sort of had the idea of 500 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 2: building this canal and he wanted to connect you know, 501 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 2: the Caribbean with the Pacific Ocean. And so Walker, knowing this, 502 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 2: saw what a strategic stronghold economically the Nicaragua was and 503 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 2: decided to roll the dice and offered his assistance to 504 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 2: the Leonese. 505 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 1: Right, yes, he offered his assistance, and he did it 506 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 1: with very sketchy support from the US government. So he says, 507 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 1: I'm going to get down there. I'm going to get 508 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:45,440 Speaker 1: with the Leonese, use them to augment my fighting forces. 509 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: We're going to take over Nicaragua for America. Who's with me? 510 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: Who's with me? Kind of like that scene in Half Baked. 511 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 2: How many were with him? Then? 512 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: Sixty sixty people said, well, I'll do it. 513 00:29:57,560 --> 00:29:58,160 Speaker 2: Is not enough. 514 00:29:58,600 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: That's not enough. 515 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 2: I'm not so you know, master of war. But that 516 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 2: seems a little on the light side. 517 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 1: We have never in fact purposely filibustered, but just ballparking, 518 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 1: that seems Yeah, that seems low. So here's the thing though, 519 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 1: here's what the sketchy support was. He's got these sixty 520 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 1: people and says, Okay, we're gonna set sail. It's eighteen 521 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: fifty five by this time, and the United States Marshall 522 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: tries to prevent Walker and his men from leaving, but 523 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 1: the federal officials who earlier tacitly supported him in his 524 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: quest to take over parts of Mexico, they're still on 525 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 1: his side. In fact, before he sets sail, Walker meets 526 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:42,080 Speaker 1: with a guy named General Wool who is the military 527 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: commander of the Pacific Coast. And Wool had special powers 528 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:52,080 Speaker 1: granted from the President to suppress all filibustering expeditions. But 529 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:55,880 Speaker 1: this guy, this guy meets with Walker. Walker says, yeah, 530 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go take over Nicaragua for America. I'm gonna 531 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 1: make it like its own thing first, but then I'm 532 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,520 Speaker 1: gonna hand it off to the US. And the General 533 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: hears this plan and he says, you know what, not 534 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: only am I not going to interfere, but break a leg, buddy, 535 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 1: I wish you well, Yeah, totally. I got a question 536 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 1: for you, man. In all of this, how is he 537 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 1: benefiting like he is? He cashing in on all of 538 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:22,479 Speaker 1: these exploits. Like, is he just totally power mad and 539 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:25,320 Speaker 1: just wants to like be the king of a country. Yeah, 540 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: it's tough for us to ascribe motive. We know he 541 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 1: didn't come from impoverished means or anything. 542 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 2: I just think he was obsessed and driven and like 543 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 2: just like kind of to a completely self destructive level. Yeah. 544 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 1: I think he just really dug power. So I think 545 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:50,600 Speaker 1: you are right, Noel, I think you're right. I think 546 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 1: it was about the power for him. It was about 547 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: the drive to conquer and to rule. As soon as 548 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:00,720 Speaker 1: they land in San Juan del Sur, he's starts to 549 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 1: flex his muscles. He's got his sixty people with him, 550 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:09,160 Speaker 1: and he's got those Leonese troops and he starts fighting 551 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 1: the Granada faction at the Battle of Rivas. And because 552 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 1: he wins the day for the Leonese, he gets another title. 553 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 1: Isn't he gets the other? Yeah? 554 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,320 Speaker 2: Well not a nickname, say, this is almost an official title. 555 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 2: And he's a white man. He's from from Nashville, right right. 556 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 2: I mentioned it's so crazy how he found himself in 557 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 2: this situation. I just don't understand like the impulse to 558 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,280 Speaker 2: do that maybe I'm just my brain doesn't work like this. 559 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 2: But yeah, so he's General Lisimo now, and he declares 560 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:47,959 Speaker 2: himself to be the new president of Nicaragua. 561 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 1: HUTSPA for days. Yeah, and the population in the US 562 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: hears about this, and they love it, and soon pro 563 00:32:57,200 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 1: slavery advocates begin trying to recruit more people to help 564 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 1: with this cause. In Nicaragua, large southern cities host public 565 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: meetings and fundraisers, and Walker begins to really settle in 566 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 1: and make himself comfortable. And this is where he makes 567 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 1: a powerful enemy. And Nolan's so glad you mentioned this 568 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 1: guy earlier. We had a little foreshadowing. 569 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, this Vanderbilt character does not play because I believe 570 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:32,400 Speaker 2: that General Lissimo l Presidente Walker did not allow his 571 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:36,760 Speaker 2: ships to travel through like we were saying before. He 572 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:41,360 Speaker 2: saw the strategic power of controlling Nicaragua. So I guess, yeah, 573 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:43,840 Speaker 2: there was money he was getting he was I mean, 574 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 2: come on, he had to have been cashing in on this, 575 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,680 Speaker 2: no question about it, because he had such power that 576 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 2: he was actually able to revoke the deal with Vanderbilt's company. 577 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:55,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, the Vanderbilt steamship company. 578 00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:58,600 Speaker 2: That's right to allow them to travel through that very 579 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:03,680 Speaker 2: important region for getting from the Caribbean the Pacific Ocean. 580 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:05,640 Speaker 2: This is before the Panama Canal, right. 581 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, this is before the Panama Canal. And Dad 582 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 1: insult to injury. Walker gives that right of transit to 583 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:17,120 Speaker 1: a guy named Edmund Randolph, the competitor of Vanderbilts, for 584 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:21,000 Speaker 1: a term of twenty five years. And then as soon 585 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: as he's consolidating his power, he reverses the anti slavery 586 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: laws that Nicaragua had had for the last thirty two years. 587 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:35,760 Speaker 1: And because this guy is essentially reinstituting slavery, revolts begin 588 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:40,760 Speaker 1: to break out. Also, there's a there's a puppeteer helping 589 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:46,160 Speaker 1: strengthen and augment these acts of revolt. It's Vanderbilt, the 590 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:49,560 Speaker 1: owner of the steamship company. This has become a proxy 591 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 1: war for him, dang making waves he is he is, 592 00:34:55,920 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 1: and Costa Rica declares war against Walker as well. Things 593 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:03,800 Speaker 1: just go to go to pot They go pear shaped 594 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:07,120 Speaker 1: pretty quickly. And you know, it's not hard to see 595 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 1: why if somebody came in and took over a US 596 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:15,920 Speaker 1: state and reinstituted slavery right and then angered the largest 597 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 1: corporations in the area. Of course, things would be incredibly unsustainable. 598 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 1: And so after about two years, as a result of 599 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 1: these various conflicts, in May of eighteen fifty seven, Walker 600 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:32,000 Speaker 1: has to surrender. He has to leave Nicaragua. Until that is, 601 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:37,000 Speaker 1: he convinces people to join him on his second Nicaragua campaign. 602 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,560 Speaker 1: So he's in Mobile, Alabama, and he organizes the second 603 00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:44,320 Speaker 1: Nicaragua expedition. 604 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 2: Well, how do you get to Mobile? Where'd that come 605 00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 2: into play? It's when he left Nicaragua, he belined it 606 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:50,320 Speaker 2: for Mobile. 607 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:53,960 Speaker 1: He went back to the States. He was forced by 608 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:57,200 Speaker 1: Central American Armies and the government of Costa Rica to 609 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:03,279 Speaker 1: surrender to US Navy Commander Charles Henry Davis. And so 610 00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:06,879 Speaker 1: he was taken back to New York City. And then 611 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:10,279 Speaker 1: when he got to New York, at first there was fanfare, 612 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: you know, imagine the confetti, the applause. People are like, 613 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:17,400 Speaker 1: this guy's a real American hero. But then the public 614 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 1: turned against him when he said, the only reason I 615 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:22,800 Speaker 1: lost is because of the US Navy. Also, he was 616 00:36:22,920 --> 00:36:27,359 Speaker 1: using very dirty tactics in the war. He was purposely 617 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:33,399 Speaker 1: contaminating water wells with corpses. Yeah, he's waging biological war. 618 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 1: It's awful, caused a cholera epidemic. What a guy, What 619 00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:40,520 Speaker 1: a guy? And so now the US public has starting 620 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:43,359 Speaker 1: to turn against him. He goes from New York, makes 621 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:49,120 Speaker 1: his way down to Mobile, Alabama, starts his second Nicaragua expedition, 622 00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:53,799 Speaker 1: and then he gets arrested by the US Navy under 623 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:57,680 Speaker 1: the command of a guy named Commodore Hiram. Paulding gets 624 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 1: returned to the US again, writes a book War in Nicaragua, 625 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 1: published in eighteen sixty, and then he goes back, but 626 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:07,040 Speaker 1: this time he says, you know what, if Nicaragua didn't work, 627 00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:10,879 Speaker 1: if Baja California didn't work, there's another place I can try. 628 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:14,320 Speaker 1: It was trild Honduras, old old. 629 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:16,840 Speaker 2: Honduras, with the same you know, the same designs in 630 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 2: mind as he's had the whole time. This guy's just 631 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:22,520 Speaker 2: got like stars in his eyes about his conquering. I 632 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:24,799 Speaker 2: just I still want to know, like, how is he 633 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:26,560 Speaker 2: how is he benefiting from this? It sure seems like 634 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:29,960 Speaker 2: he's putting himself in harm's way. You know, I just 635 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,160 Speaker 2: think he maybe just got off on the on the 636 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 2: chaos and the chaos. I guess, yeah, this is very interesting, 637 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:36,279 Speaker 2: very interesting character. 638 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:40,160 Speaker 1: Doesn't seem like he was doing much to institute sustainable 639 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:41,920 Speaker 1: government after he took over. 640 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:44,160 Speaker 2: Now, or even had any real plans on how to 641 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:46,720 Speaker 2: do it. He doesn't wanted to declare himself the president. 642 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:49,120 Speaker 2: He just wanted to be important, you know what I mean. 643 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:52,920 Speaker 2: But all this bad behavior finally caught up with him 644 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:55,600 Speaker 2: in the form of a firing squad. 645 00:37:56,120 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's right. Mm hm. So after he's organized 646 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 1: this other expedition, put it together New Orleans, set sail 647 00:38:03,719 --> 00:38:08,640 Speaker 1: for Central America. He lands near Trouscillo in Honduras, and 648 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:11,560 Speaker 1: he's still thinking, you know what, eventually I'm going to 649 00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:16,040 Speaker 1: get to Nicaragua. But his men, probably thinking we have 650 00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:21,440 Speaker 1: heard this before, they desert him. So eventually, as he 651 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:24,520 Speaker 1: is probably trying to take over Nicaragua, he has to 652 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:27,800 Speaker 1: surrender himself to the captain of a British naval vessel 653 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:32,360 Speaker 1: that was nearby off the coast. This guy, Commander Noel Salmon, 654 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:37,719 Speaker 1: who would later become Admiral Sir Noel Salmon, for reasons 655 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:43,400 Speaker 1: that aren't completely clear, decided that instead of returning Walker 656 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:45,960 Speaker 1: to the US, he was just going to deliver him 657 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:50,320 Speaker 1: to the authorities of Honduras along with his chief of staff, 658 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:56,240 Speaker 1: Colonel A. F. Rutler. Rudler was sentenced to four years 659 00:38:56,360 --> 00:39:00,600 Speaker 1: hard labor in the mines Aaron Honduras, which shit in 660 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:03,680 Speaker 1: many ways, was a death sentence. But as he said, 661 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:05,720 Speaker 1: Walker met a different thing. Yeah. 662 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:07,400 Speaker 2: And we've got a really good account of it from 663 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:10,200 Speaker 2: the New York Times, published in October fifth of eighteen 664 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:13,440 Speaker 2: sixty by John E. Norvil, And this is how he 665 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:15,879 Speaker 2: describes it. He marched from his cell to the place 666 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:19,399 Speaker 2: of execution with a steady step and unshaken mien. A 667 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:21,920 Speaker 2: chair had been placed for him, with his back toward 668 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:25,279 Speaker 2: the castle. Having taken his seat, he was blindfolded. Three 669 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:27,560 Speaker 2: soldiers stepped forward to within twenty feet of him and 670 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:30,960 Speaker 2: discharge their muskets. The balls entered his body and he 671 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:34,400 Speaker 2: leaned a little forward, but it being observed that he 672 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:37,279 Speaker 2: was not dead, a fourth soldier mercifully advanced so close 673 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:40,040 Speaker 2: to the suffering man the muzzle of the musket almost 674 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:43,000 Speaker 2: touched his forehead, and being there, discharge scattered his brains 675 00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:46,200 Speaker 2: and skull to the winds. Thus ends the life of 676 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:48,319 Speaker 2: the gray eyed man of Destiny. And I have to 677 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:51,040 Speaker 2: make this joke, Ben. They were using musket balls you 678 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:52,600 Speaker 2: live by the balls you die. 679 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:56,239 Speaker 1: Oh that's so good. Were you planning on that? Just 680 00:39:56,600 --> 00:39:59,600 Speaker 1: that just to screw had to, had to that's good 681 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:02,839 Speaker 1: to give it. Yeah, yeah, let it fly. And so 682 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:08,280 Speaker 1: this is the conclusion of the story of the Man, 683 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:13,839 Speaker 1: the Myth, the Monster, William Walker. Side note, I don't 684 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 1: know if we mentioned this. Do you know how old 685 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:17,680 Speaker 1: he was when that firing squad got him? No? 686 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:17,960 Speaker 2: I don't. 687 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:21,160 Speaker 1: I didn't see that here, thirty six years old. He 688 00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:23,520 Speaker 1: did all these terrible things in thirty six years. 689 00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:26,040 Speaker 2: Can I just turned thirty five? I know, man, I've 690 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:28,440 Speaker 2: never conquered a country even half successfully. 691 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:30,520 Speaker 1: Hey, you know what, neither is he? 692 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:33,120 Speaker 2: That's true? Do you know he was half successful? 693 00:40:34,600 --> 00:40:37,440 Speaker 1: I don't know. I think he just raised the rockets, okay, 694 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:41,840 Speaker 1: and then he was never legally recognized by another country. 695 00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:45,120 Speaker 1: But you know what, we've still we've still got time 696 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:48,080 Speaker 1: to start countries of our own, maybe on the moon 697 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:51,840 Speaker 1: when SpaceX gets his stuff together. But that's a story 698 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:54,960 Speaker 1: for another day. Thank you so much for tuning in. 699 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:58,440 Speaker 1: We hope you enjoyed the tale of William Walker, and 700 00:40:58,520 --> 00:41:03,120 Speaker 1: stay tuned for our next episode, when we break down 701 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:05,799 Speaker 1: the story of what are they know monkey. 702 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:10,399 Speaker 2: Hangers, the Hartlepool monkey or why Hartlepoodlians are known as 703 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:15,560 Speaker 2: monkey hangars. That's happening. That's happening with a vengeance, my friend. 704 00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:16,480 Speaker 1: It is inevitable. 705 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:19,560 Speaker 2: In the meantime, hit us up on the internet. We 706 00:41:19,600 --> 00:41:22,200 Speaker 2: are ridiculous at HowStuffWorks dot com. You can join our 707 00:41:22,239 --> 00:41:26,360 Speaker 2: Facebook group of ridiculous historians on the Facebook. All you 708 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:29,600 Speaker 2: gotta do is name one of our names. It's a 709 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:32,600 Speaker 2: pretty low bar. That's the magic entry question. And you 710 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:34,000 Speaker 2: know what, even if you don't know, or you say 711 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:35,359 Speaker 2: something clever, we'll still let you ends. 712 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, we like jokes. Your Nol and Ben, that's Casey, 713 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:38,560 Speaker 1: that's us. 714 00:41:38,760 --> 00:41:39,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. 715 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:42,920 Speaker 1: Oh and we want to thank Casey super producer, Casey Pegren. 716 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,560 Speaker 1: Want to thank Alex Williams who composed this track, our 717 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:49,280 Speaker 1: research associates, Christopher Hasiotis and Eve's Jeff cot. 718 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:53,799 Speaker 2: And most importantly you out there in podcast land, specifically 719 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:57,840 Speaker 2: you and YouTube Ben Nol. Really you really carried me 720 00:41:57,880 --> 00:41:59,920 Speaker 2: on this one, I gotta say, and I appreciate. 721 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:03,960 Speaker 1: Oh man, oh last thing. Please know we're serious. Send 722 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:05,440 Speaker 1: us flag designs if you have one. 723 00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:17,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, see you soon for more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 724 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:21,080 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to 725 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:22,040 Speaker 2: your favorite shows.