The Banana Men: American Mercenaries and Entrepreneurs in Central America, 1880-1930

by Lester D. Langley, Thomas D. Schoonover

Ambitious entrepreneurs, isthmian politicians, and mercenaries who dramatically altered Central America's political culture, economies, and even its traditional social values populate this lively story of a generation of North and Central Americans and their roles in the transformation of Central America from the late nineteenth century until the onset of the Depression. The Banana Men is a study of modernization, its benefits, and its often frightful costs.
The colorful characters in this study are fascinating, if not always admirable. Sam "the Banana Man" Zemurray, a Bessarabian Jewish immigrant, made a fortune in Honduran bananas after he got into the business of "revolutin," and his exploits are now legendary. His hired mercenary Lee Christmas, a bellicose Mississippian, made a reputation in Honduras as a man who could use a weapon. The supporting cast includes Minor Keith, a railroad builder and banana baron; Manuel Bonilla, the Honduran mulatto whose cause Zemurray subsidized; and Jose Santos Zelaya, who ruled Nicaragua from 1893 to 1910.
The political and social turmoil of the modern Central America cannot be understood without reference to the fifty-year epoch in which the United States imposed its political and economic influence on vulnerable Central American societies. The predicament of Central Americans today, as isthmian peoples know, is rooted in their past, and North Americans have had a great deal to do with the shaping of their history, for better or worse.

Genres: History, Politics

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 1995

About the author

Lester Danny Langley is a professor emeritus of history at the University of Georgia.

Reviews

[Zare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book on how stronger countries enforce their economic interests on countries that are not that stable, or at least cannot resist the influence due to various factors - internal government structure (social strata, too many power players, too many too rich people guarding their interests), parts of country out of government control (like Mosquito area in Honduras), and in general "maturity" of the self-governance at the time (Central America was under influence of European powers and majority of governments were sen as revolutionary in nationalistic sense).

What happened in Central America is what happened in 1990's in Eastern Europe. People with money would come in, engage the local economy, then slowly take over and de-facto establish full control over the resources. In given country few local people would get to power and become ridiculously rich while others - like independent producers - would degrade until they lose everything. Since external companies would pour money to local control and government, latter would be more than happy to prevent any troubles. And in case any government would do something to oppose the interests of the money people, they would be declared (by journalists and by local US diplomatic representatives) as greatest evil after battle between Heaven and Hell (sounds very familiar in light of current events both in Eastern Europe and in South America, doesn't it - it is same playbook and people gobble it because hey it is miles and miles away, and our government knows what it is doing :) hah!).

Regime change, no problem, money people will first bring in mercenaries to fight whoever opposes them. If something happens and US citizens suffer (like in case of those two soldiers of fortune caught in Nicaragua in early 1900s), media starts hyping stuff (oh those evil doers look what they did to our two countrymen) and very soon gunboat politics kicks in with direct involvement of US Army, Navy and Marines, who put new government in place which is friendly to US money people, after which mercenaries just disappear. There is no need for them anymore, US now controls the area.

I mean, nothing new, happens all the time and still is happening. It is only that technology changes and ways of pressure. And if you are in Europe, there might (mind you , might!) not be violence but if you are anywhere else, ho mamma, they will puff and huff and blow opposition to smithereens under whatever pretense there is (which did not change since the period described in the book).

Book gives an overview of all of these money people, entrepreneurs and mercenaries fighting these dirty wars under full support of US diplomatic mission. Characters like Lee Christmas or El Amigo, while very colorful, are people you would not want to work with unless rifle crossfire is what one desires to experience at some point in life. Are they to be blamed for their actions..... it depends how you look at hypocrisy in that oldest profession in the world, politics. All the talk of progress is for compliant ones. Ones compliance disappears, those people are then greatest evil that ever walked the Earth. So, to blame people using the opportunity given to them is silly. While in retrospective, decades and decades later, it is obvious what happened, if you would ask average US citizen at the time he would recite the media and be appalled of those foreign countries mistreating the US citizens (as represented by the media). Of course they would support whatever US is doing. Is that any different from today's world behavior and media coverage?

Book is really well written and brings to life all of the drama in Central America (comic opera as authors state, which might be too jovial view of the events, but hey if it is far away, right, it does look all silly and crazy) at the time. First chapters are for all means and purposes overall introduction into social situation in the area, how money people found their way and started building their empires. While these sections of the book are slow to go through, paces gets more quicker as it moved to descriptions of actual machinations and battles fought, with and without participation of US armed forces. It is also very interesting to see how US State Department acted on behalf of corporations and US hired guns.

All the plotting between the countries in Central America, various presidents and their alliances and splits, very interesting view on the meaning of word conservative and liberal and what this meant for internal political activity in these countries, and various mercenary armies roaming the area and fighting for one then for another side with one goal on their mind - get to the enemy treasury before anyone else. I am definitely interested in more stories about mercenaries and this area, and will check other books by the authors.

At the end, what was the effect of all of this interference? Well, yanks are not that loved in these parts, considering the history. Also it remained the US playground and scene of many of civil war and destruction, including some terrifying elements like Operation Condor or in general political death squads. Would have this happened without this involvement in early 1900s? Who knows, it is possible, but at least it would be internal struggle, not the one orchestrated from outside. In the epilogue I might have missed something, but to take the stand how corporations brought economic model to these parts of the world that they used later as a basis for their further development, is somewhat ..... weird? I mean, does not this put Central America inline with various African colonies that inherited infrastructure and economic policy built and ingrained by colonial powers? Does this mean that Central America was always seen as US colony? Is it still seen as such? Food for thought, right?

But as I said, this is story as old as the world. Very interesting book, highly recommended.

[Billy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Lester Langley and Thomas Schoonover so succinctly summarize, The Banana Men “is a book about North and Central Americans and their role in the transformation of Central America during the U.S. imperial era from the late nineteenth century to the onset of the Great Depression” (1). From roughly 1880 until 1930 the modern economies of both the United States and Central America took form, and a few individuals—the “Banana Men”—played important roles in shaping the future of U.S./Central American relations. The authors’ focus primarily on Nicaragua and Honduras, but state that their study speaks to the experience of greater Central America. This region’s present “debilities” can debatably be attributed to U.S. influence in the region, but also that there “can be little doubt of the conjuncture of powerful U.S. economic forces and influential persons in the shaping of isthmian history during this fifty year period” (2).
Who were these “Banana Men?” This group that included Samuel Zemurray, the original “Banana Man” who made his fortune “in Honduran bananas and later ran United Fruit Company for two decades;” Minor Keith, a railroad entrepreneur whose actions enriched the United Fruit company; the Vaccaro brothers, two Sicilians from New Orleans “who carved a banana kingdom on the north Honduran coast” (3-4); Washington Valentine, a Honduran mining entrepreneur and railroad prospector; and finally Lee Christmas, a mercenary who aided Zemurray in building his empire. These men each receive near equal treatment in the book, although Zemurray and his crony Lee Christmas provide the most intriguing case studies. Their names alone are something out of a Hollywood movie, while their violent and ruthless actions in Central America act as a microcosm of the rugged individualism of American working in the southern isthmus.
The Banana Men begins with chapter by Schoonover which is characteristically based on “world systems theory.” He again uses dependency theory—one based on an emerging American metropole and a Central American periphery—to show how industrial America forced their weaker southern neighbors into an “informal empire” in the early part of the twentieth century (167). Again, Schoonover emphasizes that American’s were obsessed with expanding overseas markets, a trend they believed would relieve domestic economic pressures. The infamous open door may have focused on China, but with their close proximity and weak military, the nations of Central America were ripe for American social imperialism. As Schoonover so aptly puts it, this region provided a “beachhead for U.S. interests” abroad (32, 167).
The other chapters read more like traditional diplomatic and military treatments, often focusing on lively and active characters. Luckily, Langley’s stylistic approach never conflicts with Schoonover’s methodology; in fact, these approaches nicely balance one another. Langley’s case studies on characters like Zemurray and Lee Christmas are intriguing and captivating. Zemurray, for example, came to run the United Fruit Company, which would become—for a time—the largest agricultural company in the Western Hemisphere. Despite the influence these men gained, Langley gives appropriate agency to their Central American counterparts, like the Nicaraguan Jose Santos Zelaya, who actively resisted American influence in his nation and looked to Europe for funding for his canal (a case study also included in Schoonover’s The United States in Central America, 1860-1911). Such inclusions not only assuage arguments for Ameri-centric scholarship, but also give a more balanced treatment of diplomatic relations.
Some more dyed in the wool diplomatic historians might take issue with aspects of The Banana Men. First, it often deals with actors who were not officially diplomats, but instead mercenaries and entrepreneurial enterprisers. These critics should remember that during the fifty year duration on which this study is based, Central American politics was ripe for corruption, even through official channels; T.R. and the taking of the Panama Canal is a prime example. Second, The Banana Men implies that the early behind the scenes dealings within the region can be compared to the contemporary actions of the Reagan administration, most notably 1981s military actions. Schoonover and Langley never wear their politics on the written page, however, and only cursorily imply such connections. In other words, this book reads as if though those connections were made after much research and consideration, and not with a political goal from the project’s outset.
The Banana Men is a concise, modest work that is full of intriguing characters and well written prose. It doesn’t stand well on its own, but offers a colorful addition to the historiography of Central American/U.S. relations from the 1880s until the Great Depression. If anything, it raises good questions for future scholars to consider. For example, The Banana Men seems ripe for a western analysis. Like the American West, this region was full of non-government actors. By the 1930s, Central America—like the West—became too reliant on government for entrepreneurs to take full advantage of their surroundings. Put simply, be it Waterworks or Banana regulation, the same theories of government growth apply. And like the U.S. West, the growth of Government enforced strict adherence to U.S. policies and ended lawlessness. True, Central America nations remained sovereign, but Schoonover’s arguments for social imperialism have gained much merit as of late, making such connections possible and intriguing.
Reviews of the work were mostly positive with some minor critiques. Writing for the Hispanic Historical Review, Kenneth J. Grieb notes that the book’s “focus on the soldiers of fortune and their efforts to win glory” gives an intriguing but incomplete analysis of the region. Joseph A. Fry notes in Diplomatic History that while assumptions of U.S. social imperialism were “certainly part of the larger U.S. foreign policy ideology and have been documented effectively” (a clear nod to William A. Williams), the authors do not provide evidence that these “Banana Men” fall into that framework. Thomas M. Leonard’s American Historical Review piece gives the book its most positive review. He finds the connections between the Banana Men, politics in Guatemala in 1954 and other nations across the isthmus in the 1980s convincing. He notes in each case “Washington policy makers again used the same rhetoric [and again] found…mercenaries…[lastly] in the ‘armies’ of the Contras.”

[Joe Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good overview of the non-government American interventions into Central America by the soldiers of fortune and businessmen. While the book covers many individuals, the two that gets focused on the most are Lee Christmas and Samuel Zemurray. The author is sympathic to the Central Americans, but does try to give a neutral look at the lives of the American soldiers of fortune and Zemurray. There are a few times the author betrays his political leanings.

[ei_tc Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating period in history with some colorful characters in Lee Christmas and Samuel Zemurray. I highly recommend for history fans of New Orleans, the Caribbean and Central America.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book serves as a guide for the men who fought in Central America from the 1880's through the great depression. It recounts their exploits but really does not get into their motives. Simply calling them soldiers of fortune does not make sense when their exploits are explored in detail. I think this book has value as a starting guide except for the fact that it requires a lot of knowledge on the history to begin with. The author's attempts at trying to determine which groups were responsible for which raids leave a large scholarly gap to be filled. This books value is limited and really should only be used as a quick review of what happened.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the politics of the era in the various nations of Central America can be a bit confusing -- perhaps a chart of the principals might be helpful -- the American characters are clear. If it were not for the misery experienced by the majority of the locals, much of the history of U.S. involvement might be somewhat amusing. The civilian businessmen and mercenaries were a bunch of real characters.

Makes you wonder why the locals do not hate us more than they do.

[Troy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of inter-related stories about various mercenaries and various wars in Central America. Some of the stories are intense, esp. the stories of The Fighting Jew, Lee Christmas and Guy "Machine Gun" Maloney. It's also to read about early U.S. imperialism and how it was connected to monetary concerns of U.S. multi-national corporations (esp. the concerns of The United Fruit Company).

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid contextual piece for the Central American wars and skirmishes during the late 19th and early 20th-century. Chapters focus primarily on Nicaragua and Honduras, although Guatemala and El Salvador come into play.