Those rascal pre-Confederates...

William Walker was a brilliant Tennessean of Scotch descent-he earned his university degree at age 14. As a young man, he travelled around Europe, becoming a doctor and a lawyer. In 1853, he left San Francisco (after fightings three duels) with about 50 recruits and attempted to conquer Baja and Sonoma, Mexico. When things didn't work out, he later led a force of 57 men to Nicaragua, and, amazingly, was able to use a civil war to become 'Emperor'- for one year. Walker wasn't the best administrator, despite his charms, and eventually ran afoul of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the American industrialist who wanted total control over the trade routes between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans ( Nicaragua being the pivot at that time-ships would dock on one coast, and utilize lakes and railroads to cross over...). Walker was detained by our navy, then the British navy, as he was attempting to raise a force to conquer Honduras. The Brits turned him over to the Honduran authorities, and they executed him by firing squad, in 1860. He was 36.

Walker almost succeeded in conquering central America- Vanderbilt's interference foiled the adventure. If Walker had brought several new slave states into the union, it would have altered the Congressional delegations and balance of power, and probably would have postponed the Civil War.