Richard Oglesby Marsh

Richard Oglesby Marsh (1883–1953) was an American engineer, explorer, diplomat, and ethnologist. He participated in engineering and ethnological expeditions to Panama and he is known for his participation in the Guna Revolution in 1925 on the side of the Kuna indigenas.

Life

Rubber expeditions In the early 1920s, Richard Marsh was sent by Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone to look for suitable rubber lands. He unsuccessfully explored the region between the Canal and Costa Rica 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 or Liberia.

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.