Haiti is the only nation to form an independent nation after a successful slave revolt and is the second nation in the Americas after the United States. After the French Revolution, Haitians were inspired by the rhetoric that all men are free. This was not going to be an easy task for Haitians since Haiti was the pearl of the Antilles that generated an immense amount of wealth for France. The conditions on Haiti had the most brutal system of slavery in all the Americas where the life expectancy was considerably shorter than the surrounding colonies. Later, this constant supply of slaves from Africa would be an advantage since the ratio of slaves to French were said to be 10:1.
On August 21-22, 1791, the Haitian Revolution had begun, with various nations getting involved. During this time, the superpowers of the time British, France, and Spain were in competition with on another so any opportunity to help its self-interest came into play. So, at times one would use the Haitians and supply weapons to fight off the opposing nation. The leader of the Haitian Revolution and French Loyalist Toussaint Louverture who was hesitant to join at the beginning of the slave revolt. However, from 1791 to 1803 Louverture was a well-respected and tactical man who got rid of his rivals in the process. Not only defeating the French under Louverture, Haitians defeated both British and Spanish troops attempting to capitalize on the colony’s instability. In 1802 when Louverture made himself governor for life, this enraged Napoleon where he dispatched approximately 20,000 troops to reinstate slavery. After capturing Louverture, he was brought to France where he was interrogated and beaten eventually dying in captivity in 1803. After his capture generals Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Alexandre Pétion and Henry Christophe took over. Eventually in November of 1803 Haitians defeated the French with lead to Napoleon giving up his North American Empire forcing him to sell the Louisiana Purchase to the United States. On January 1, 1804, the name of the former colony was officially changed to the native name of Haiti. After becoming ruler, Dessalines ordered the massacre of the remaining whites on the island except for the Polish troops that defected from the French army, doctors, and a small group of German Colonist.
In 1806 Dessalines was assassinated, soon after Haiti was divided into North and South with two separate leaders. The north is led by Henri Christophe while the south is led by Alexandre Pétion where both have their accomplishments that cannot be ignored. In 1805 Christophe ordered the construction of the Citadelle Laferrière that was completed in 1820. The mountaintop fortress, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, was resurrected to protect from a possible attack from France to reinstitute slavery.
In the south the great liberator, Simon Bolivar, seeked Haiti’s help to free the Spanish colonies after getting rejected by Britain for assistance. Pétion agreed to meet with Bolivar, in Haiti, to assist in his liberation from Spain on December 15, 1815. In April 1816 Bolivar embarked to South America to fight the Spanish where he failed. After regrouping in Haiti for more arms and additional help he returned to South America in December 1816 where he successfully defeated Spain.
In 1821 many nations heard of the accomplishments of Haiti’s independence from France across the globe. Across the Atlantic Greece was raging war against the Ottoman Empire for independence from 1821 and 1832. The Greeks reached out to then President Jean Pierre Boyer for assistance, so on January 15, 1822 President Boyer responded with this letter translated to English from French.
Before I received your letter from Paris, dated last August 20, the news about the revolution of your co-citizens against the despotism which lasted for about three centuries had already arrived here. With great enthusiasm we learned that Hellas was finally forced to take up arms in order to gain her freedom and the position that she once held among the nations of the world. Such a beautiful and just case and, most importantly, the first successes which have accompanied it, cannot leave Haitians indifferent, for we, like the Hellenes, were for a long time subjected to a dishonorable slavery and finally, with our own chains, broke the head of tyranny. Wishing to Heavens to protect the descendents of Leonidas, we thought to assist these brave warriors, if not with military forces and ammunition, at least with money, which will be useful for acquisition of guns, which you need. But events that have occurred and imposed financial restrictions onto our country absorbed the entire budget, including the part that could be disposed by our administration. Moreover, at present, the revolution which triumphs on the eastern portion of our island is creating a new obstacle in carrying out our aim; in fact, this portion, which was incorporated into the Republic I preside over, is in extreme poverty and thus justifies immense expenditures of our budget. If the circumstances, as we wish, improve again, then we shall honorably assist you, the sons of Hellas, to the best of our abilities. Citizens! Convey to your co-patriots the warm wishes that the people of Haiti send on behalf of your liberation. The descendants of ancient Hellenes look forward, in the reawakening of their history, to trophies worthy of Salamis. May they prove to be like their ancestors and guided by the commands of Miltiades, and be able, in the fields of the new Marathon, to achieve the triumph of the holy affair that they have undertaken on behalf of their rights, religion and motherland. May it be, at last, through their wise decisions, that they will be commemorated by history as the heirs of the endurance and virtues of their ancestors.
Source: Journal of Haitian Studies, Vol. 11, No. 1 (Spring 2005), pp. 167-171
In the 15th of January 1822 and the 19th year of Independence BOYER
Although this letter may seem meaningless to some, it is the opposite. The letter, thus Haiti, is the first to recognize Greece as its own separate state. Some historians agree that resource strapped Haiti was still able to assist with a rich commodity, coffee. It was said that Haiti shipped about 20 tons of coffee that could be sold to help the Greek cause. Soon after other nations followed suite beginning with Great Britain.
In 1825 the unthinkable occurred, France requested Haiti their former colony to pay them reparations for the amount of money France and the slave holders lost for their freedom. France sent warships to Haiti to threaten and enforce repayment, Haiti was a freely liberated black nation that the world did not want to accept. This realization crippled the nation where embargoes, sanctions, and now stifling debt, Haiti was doomed from the beginning. Haiti was a black independent nation surrounded by slave colonies in all directions, the world would not treat them as equals. So, it took over 122 years to pay off the debt that bankrupt the nation.
Prior to Haiti recognizing Greece as a State, in November of 1821 President Boyer decided to invade the eastern portion of the island, current day the Dominican Republic. From 1821 to 1844 Haiti was in control of the entire island of Hispaniola until the Dominican Republic won independence.
Briefly mentioned earlier, the events of John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry July 3 1859 sent shockwaves throughout the colonies and Haitians were concerned of the results. Inspired by the Haitian Revolution approximately 50 years earlier Brown attempted to start a slave insurrection. Unfortunately, the raid failed where ten of his men were killed including two of his sons, later Brown was executed for treason. In response to Brown’s executed Haiti named a major street in the nation’s capital in his honor.
Months after President Woodrow Wilson screened The Birth of A Nation in the White House, in July of 1915, Wilson invaded and began the occupation of Haiti. A series of presidential assassinations in Haiti made the country unstable, so the United States did not want other nations having a political influence so close to U.S. shores. During this time, the U.S. removed the $500,000 from the national bank for “safe keeping.” Other injustices included influencing elections and backing candidates that were essentially loyalist to the U.S. The U.S. also forced Haiti to change the national constitution so foreigners can own land. In 1924 Wilson passed away, eventually Franklin D. Roosevelt became president who enacted the Good Neighbor Policy where the U.S. withdrew in 1934.
In 1957 through 1986 the father son Duvalier dictatorship duo created a mass migration to the states, where an estimated 30,000 Haitians died under there rule. January 10, 2010 a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti with an estimated 220,000 to 300,000 people perished. Ten years later the country is still recovery, the billions in humanitarian relief seemed to have disappeared.
*Vodou and combinations of Vodou and other religion is also practiced including Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism Data From: worldpopulationreview.com
The official languages in Haiti are Haitian Creole and French.
- Meringue
- Rara
- Twoubadou
- Compas
- Mini Jazz
- Haitian Rock
- Mizik Rasin
- Zouk
- Haitian Hip Hop
- Bouillon Soup: consist of sliced meat, potatoes, plantains, spinach, and cabbage.
- Poulet Aux Noix: Chicken and cashew nuts
- Legim: Vegetable stew
- Griot: Fried pork
- Joumou: is soup simmered in a saucepan along with pieces of beef, potato, plantains and vegetables.
- Pâté: is a flaky patty with meat inside that varies from beef to chicken.
- Sauce pois: Rice with bean sauce
- Fried Plantain
