Continued unrest in Nicaragua in the 1850s…

Continued unrest in Nicaragua in the 1850s sets the stage for two additional elements in the country's history: frequent United States military interventions in Nicaragua and a propensity for Nicaraguan politicians to call on the United States to settle domestic disputes.

In 1853 conservative General Fruto Chamorro takes over the government and exiles his leading liberal opponents.

Aided by the liberal government in neighboring Honduras, an exile army enters Nicaragua on May 5, 1854.

The subsequent conflict proves prolonged and bloody; Chamorro declares that his forces will execute all armed rebels who fall into their hands, and the liberal leader, General Maximo Jerez, proclaims that all government supporters are traitors to the nation.