Richard Oglesby Marsh (1883-1953) was an American

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

, explorer,

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

, and

ethnologist Ethnology (from the grc-gre, ἔθνος, meaning 'nation') is an academic field that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology) ...

. He participated in engineering and ethnological expeditions to

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

and he is known for his participation in the Guna Revolution in 1925 on the side of the Kuna Indians.

Life

Rubber expeditions

In the early 1920s, Richard Marsh was sent by

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that mi ...

and Harvey Firestone to look for suitable rubber lands. He unsuccessfully explored the region between the

Canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...

and

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

as the land was irregular for large-scale rubber growing. In consequence, he explored the Darien region that remained unexplored in that years. Marsh sought some "white-Indians" in the region and come back to the United States to organize a scientific expedition in the Darien.

The Marsh Darien Expedition

Richard Marsh tried to convince Ford and Firestone of financing a wide exploration in Darien, not just for rubber lands. However, they weren't interested in ethnological research. Marsh lost interest in rubber and refused to go to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Marsh got funds from an industrialist that was his friend for a new venture in Darien. A team of scientists was designated by the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...

, the American Museum of Natural History of New York, and the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

of Washington, D. C. joined the expedition. Marsh also counted with the support of Panamanian President Belisario Porras and the Canal Zone administration. The expedition lasted between 1924-1925 and was called the Marsh Darien Expedition.

Guna Yala Revolution

During this trip he stumbled upon the Kuna and quickly found them to be likeable people. He also began to learn of the cultural attacks that were being implemented by the Panamanian government in this area and on the Kuna people. In order to raise awareness to this issue, he brought a legion of Kuna across to North America, which gained the attention of both

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Marsh soon returned to Panama and became a spokesman for the Kuna people despite his original intentions of his journey being in search of wealth. Marsh helped Kuna rebel leaders organize the rebellion in 1925 which attacked the Panamanian government. He also assisted in writing their declaration of independence which declared a new Kuna Republic.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Richard 1883 births 1953 deaths American engineers American explorers American ethnologists American expatriates in Panama 20th-century American anthropologists