Confederados.

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Filibuster. A topic not discussed for some time now.

See my archive regarding filibuster as that word defined and understood within the military context.

"A filibuster or freebooter, in the context of foreign policy, is someone who engages in an (at least nominally) unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country or territory to foment or support a revolution."

From the Internet web site Mental Floss as extracted an article by Erik Sass.

This aspect of the American Civil War I was only vaguely familiar with. Those still loyal to the Confederacy emigrating to Brazil in search of a new and future life.

"The Confederacy's Plan to Conquer Latin America"

"Confederate leaders also had their eyes squarely on Brazil—a country of 3 million square miles and more than 8 million people. Prior to the outbreak of the war, Matthew Maury, one of the forces behind the U.S. Naval Academy, dispatched two Navy officers to the Amazon basin, ostensibly to map the river for shipping. Instead, they were secretly plotting domination and collecting data about separatist movements in the region. When the South lost the war, Maury refused to abandon his plans. He helped up to 20,000 ex-rebels flee to Brazil, where they established the Confederate colonies of New Texas and Americana. To this day, hundreds of descendants of the Confederados still gather outside Americana to celebrate their shared heritage of rocking chairs and sweet potato pie. In a strange way, a part of the Old South still survives—thousands of miles below the U.S. border."

See this You Tube video of those Brazilians in Americana as they are today. Doing quite well.

Read also that entire aspect of the expedition into the Amazon basin as authorized [?] by Matthew Maury. Eradication of slavery in the United States the purported goal? Maury in the aftermath of the American Civil War even as a secessionist it seems continuing a quasi-military career without much travail.

Need I say - - Brazil did not abolish slavery until 1888.

coolbert.

Red Dog.

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Here with a modern example of the filibuster. The gringo behaving badly south of the border, this time an attempted coup d'etat, a "military action" directed against the Caribbean island of Dominica.

A group of Americans and some [?] Canadians described variously as white supremacists, white separatists, white nationalists, neo-nazi elements, seeking to establish an English-speaking North American enclave favorable to their interests, a "mercenary army" hoping to install a compliant ruling figurehead - - run roughshod over the locals - - take advantage of a situation.

This was Red Dog! [1981]

"Operation Red Dog was the code name of plan by Canadian and American mercenaries, largely affiliated with white supremacist and Ku Klux Klan groups, to overthrow the government of Dominica, where they planned to restore former Prime Minister Patrick John to power"

An enclave where a variety of questionable businesses could be run for profit: "tourism [prostitution?], gambling, offshore banking, and timber logging".

I would have to think too, crooked gambling, crooked offshore banking and money laundering, drugs and drug smuggling, illegal timber logging. The gamut from soup to nuts.

"[the] mercenaries . . . were arrested in New Orleans as they prepared to board a boat stocked with weapons and ammunition to invade the island nation Dominica in what they would call Operation Red Dog."

"The invasion was intended to restore former prime minister Patrick John to the mostly black Caribbean island."

Patrick John felt to be an amiable dunce and stooge that would be enthrall to "North American interests", the figure-head despot while the real money and power operated behind the scenes.

The filibuster modern version.

Red Dog did not even get off the ground and was amateurish and almost clownish in nature, the participants [there seems to have been about a dozen total?] of lightly armed "mercenaries" arrested, tried and convicted in violation of the Neutrality Act, given three year prison sentences.

These guys just "stepped in it" with bad results. Probably the government was onto them from the start, and their military expertise was basically NIL! Perhaps a group of professionals would have done better, but these guys were just outta their league.

coolbert.

Filibustering!

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Those filibuster mercenary armies of the gringo, specifically those as organized, trained, commanded and led into battle by the famous/infamous William Walker, were inextricably linked to the American pro-slavery movement of the "deep South".

Those leading personages of those American states that became the Confederacy advocated filibustering as a means of establishing sovereign enclaves in Latin [Spanish speaking ] America dominated by a small minority of English speakers - - the purpose of which was to create conditions favorable to the expansion of slavery, or a replication of the Spanish already-existing hacienda system! So it would seem.

The link between the filibuster and those desirous to see the spread of North American slavery is very strong?

A land-owning "aristocracy" whose wealth would be measured in the amount of acreage given over to plantations producing a cash crop, ranches raising cattle, mining or other industrial operations of some sort, that "aristocracy" dependent upon a large work force of slaves or highly compliant and very inexpensive peon menial labor!

Historians have made the same observation as I have done - - the filibuster was intrinsically and inextricably linked to the pro-slavery movement, the further expansion of American slavery limited to an extent by the Missouri Compromise?

Southern "aristocrats", Southern "partisans" and the like, even BEFORE the American Civil War did see military action as a means and a method to maintain the status quo, even beyond the borders of the United States?

The study of filibustering and the pro-slavery moment is an item worthy of a PhD thesis? Perhaps this has already been done?

coolbert.

Filibuster (military).

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It should be noted that the American soldier of fortune Frederick Townes Ward prior to his China adventure had gained valuable military experience as a filibuster, serving as a lieutenant to the famous/infamous William Walker.

"Filibuster"

"A filibuster, or freebooter, is someone who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country to foment or support a revolution. The term is usually used to describe United States citizens who attempted to foment insurrections in Latin America in the mid-19th century."

"Filibusters were irregular soldiers who acted without authority from their own government, and were usually motivated by financial gain, political ideology, or the thrill of adventure."

ACTING WITHOUT AUTHORITY - - QUITE OFTEN ILLEGALLY, EVEN AGAINST THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES!! The gringo behaving in a bad way down south of the border!!

Organize, train, plan, and lead into battle a motley crew of mercenaries and locals - - hoping to overthrow the established government to the extent that it exists, establish your own sovereignty over the conquered territory!

A chance for your average citizen who is so inclined to earn some "glory", depending upon your ability, skill and bravery perhaps attain the rank and title of Captain, Major, Colonel. Everybody wants to be a Colonel!

I was and still am only vaguely familiar with the actions of the various filibusters. Seems to have been quite a going concern during that period prior to the American Civil War. Persons - - quite often adventure seekers, hoping to strike it rich quick or even perhaps enlisting as a filibuster merely for the thrill, a vocation so to speak, and NOT LIMITED TO AMERICANS EITHER!!

William Walker perhaps of course the most famous/infamous of the filibusters, the man meeting a bad end while filibustering in Central America - - "live by the sword, die by same"!

Filibuster!!

coolbert.