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Article: America's Great Guano Grab
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- November 21, 1996
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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The article referring to the 1856 Guano Islands Act {"Dropping
Anchor to Claim Fortune in Government Guano," Federal Page, Nov. 12}
leaves out the act's origins and greatest historical significance.
Above all else, the law grew out of President Franklin Pierce's
strong desire to expand U.S. territories and commercial interests
overseas.
Guano, which is seafowl excrement used as a fertilizer, was
first imported to the United States from Peru in 1832. Guano was
found in abundance on the Lobos and Chincha islands off the Peruvian
coast. The fertilizer quickly became a much-valued commodity in the
United States, particularly among southern farmers and the merchants
who dealt with them.
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