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A 19th-century conman invented a fake country

History worth knowing

A 19th-century conman invented a fake country

11 min

The story of Gregor MacGregor, the Scottish soldier who invented the fictional nation of Poyais, selling land and bonds to hundreds of settlers who sailed to their deaths in a non-existent paradise.

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Show notes

Detailed account of the Poyais scheme (1821-1837).

Biography of Gregor MacGregor, from the British Army to Venezuelan General.

Analysis of the 1820s Latin American bond bubble.

The tragic fate of the settlers on the Mosquito Coast.

MacGregor's later years and military funeral in Caracas.

In this episode

  1. 1Intro1 min
  2. 2The Man Who Would Be Prince2 min
  3. 3The Birth of Poyais2 min
  4. 4The Financial Architecture of a Ghost State2 min
  5. 5The Voyage to Nowhere2 min
  6. 6The Unbelievable Aftermath1 min
  7. 7Outro1 min

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A 19th-century conman invented a fake country — Fylom