What is "filibustering?"

Note: Not the current legislative use of the word, the 19th Century land acquisition - piracy- use of it. 

In the 19th century, "filibustering" referred to unsanctioned, private military expeditions launched from the U.S. to invade foreign territories, primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean. Adventurers aimed to seize control of land and annex it to the United States, often driven by the ideology of Manifest Destiny and a desire to expand slave-holding territory. 

These unofficial conquests were technically illegal under U.S. Neutrality Laws but were often wildly popular with the American public. 

Famous Filibuster Expeditions

William Walker in Nicaragua (1855–1857): The most infamous filibuster, William Walker, used a private mercenary army to take advantage of political instability in Nicaragua. He briefly seized power, declared himself president in 1856, and legalized slavery before a coalition of Central American armies forced his surrender. 

William Walker in Mexico (1853–1854): Before his Nicaraguan campaigns, Walker attempted to invade the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora. He proclaimed the "Republic of Lower California" but failed due to lack of supplies and stiff resistance from Mexican forces. 

Narciso López in Cuba (1849–1851): Supported by wealthy Southern slaveholders, a Venezuelan-born adventurer named Narciso López led several armed expeditions to Cuba. His goal was to overthrow Spanish rule and annex Cuba to the U.S. as a slave state. The campaigns ultimately failed, and López was executed by firing squad in Havana in 1851. 

Motivations and Consequences

Expansion of Slavery: Many filibusters originated in the American South and aimed to conquer new agrarian lands where they could establish new slave states. 

Geopolitical Tension: These freelance invasions severely strained U.S. diplomatic relations with Great Britain, Spain, and several Latin American countries, which viewed filibusters as acts of state-sanctioned piracy. 

While the term "filibuster" originates from the Spanish filibustero (meaning pirate) and was tied to these land invasions in the 1850s, the political use of the word today refers to delaying tactics used in the U.S. Senate to block legislation.