In 1855 an American arrived on the shores of Nicaragua. His name was William Walker and he sought to make himself king. His biggest mistake was stealing the property of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt had constructed a railway in Nicaragua to accommodate settlers to California and gold to the eastern US. Vanderbilt’s line to California was about half as expensive for consumers as the competition and was turning amazing profit. When Vanderbilt saw his line and ships were stolen, (in his most awesome act of his life) he disposed the tyrant William Walker. From Men of Wealth (free from Mises.org):

A dashing young American filibuster, William Walker, overthrew the government and seized and revoked the Transit Company’s charter. Such a crisis called forth Vanderbilt’s natural ability as a general. He stopped all his vessels en route to Nicaragua and thus cut William Walker off from communication with America, whence he was getting men and supplies. Walker got himself elected President. Instantly the neighboring Central American “republics” were outraged. Vanderbilt armed and financed Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala. They poured hostile troops into Walker’s new empire. He organized a filibuster under two notorious adventurers. He received aid from Buchanan . He drove Walker into a corner until he surrendered to a United States gunboat.

Walker was promptly executed by firing squad.