Haiti - an Overview

                  Haiti- a Brief Overview of the Island's history 

        Haiti lies along the Greater Antilles archipelago and shares borders with the Dominican Republic creating Hispaniola. Prior to the colonization of the country, Haiti was inhabited by the Ciboney and Taino indigenous people. Numerous amounts of conflicts due to territorial disputes resulted in the Taino people removing the greater population of Ciboney out of Haiti. In December of 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in Haiti and established the colony of La Navidad. At first the natives and Columbus had a mutual relationship which shortly disintegrated when the Taino killed the settlers of La Navidad.  However like what happened in the rest of the Americas, "disease brought from Europe such as small pox spread across Haiti(as well as Hispaniola)"(Stinchcombe). With the introduction of the Law of Burgos, which prevented the mistreatment of natives and encouraged their conversion to Catholicism, came the Encomienda system. This system essentially allowed Spanish conquistadors of Haiti to have native people work on their plantations for a salary. In the later portion of the sixteenth century, Spain shifted its focus on Central and South America, leaving Haiti as more or less just a trading post. 

        The French in the mid 1600s managed to claim land on Haiti/Hispaniola and created the colony of Saint-Domingue. "The French occupation of Haiti set out to create many sugar and coffee plantations with imported slaves primarily from Africa"(Kiple). While being a very efficient income to the French Monarchy, the brutality of these plantations coupled in with diseases and harsh climates, made life for these African slaves debatably the worst in all the Americas aside from Brazil. These French slave plantations led to an increase in tensions between the Africans and French colonizers. 

        During the late eighteenth century(right before Napoleon), inspired by the French Revolution occurring across the Atlantic, an uprising of French settlers and people of color turned against the French government of Haiti led by Toussaint Louverture. "It is not a liberty of circumstance, conceded to us alone, that we wish; it is the adoption absolute of the principle.."- Toussaint Louverture. He was heavily inspired by the "principles of man." Following this, a National Convention held by Maximilien de Robespierre abolished slavery in all French colonies including Haiti. This Revolution in my opinion is probably the most influential one of the 1800s as it led to the abolishment of slavery and allowed prior slaves positions in the government. Now that slavery is abolished, "Louverture pledges full allegiance to France to fight off the British and Spanish in the Caribbean"(Venezky1). Basically the two forces that just fought each other are now teaming up to fight off two other countries. Toussaint Loverture may have become a bit greedy after his war waging with the British and Spanish as he later proclaimed himself ruling governor/general of Haiti for life. Parallels can be seen between him and Napoleon. His forces even fought against other free peoples of color in the War of Knives. Louverture was captured by French forces in costly battles and he later died in a prison cell in France bringing down the end of his reign. 

        However this was not the end of the Haitian independence movement as the military forces of Haiti would fight of the Napoleonic forces and in the end gain freedom and independence from France rule. Tensions would grow however when the new ruler of Haiti ordered the massacre of almost all white settlers in Haiti. Only (deserted French) Polish soldiers and some Germanic settlers were spared. This was another very dark time Haiti's history. 

    

         Haiti would go on to have a First and later a Second Empire. In the mid 1800s, France would try to conquer Haiti again but instead ended with France recognizing Haiti as an independent nation. Afterwards followed by the British and then the United States in 1862. During the Second Empire of Haiti, the Dominican War of Independence would occur eventually leading to the creation of the Dominican Republic. By the early twentieth century, the U.S. would occupy Haiti and many skirmishes between them and the Haitians would transpire. "After the end of the U.S. occupation in 1934, another massacre would happen in the Dominican Republic where all Haitians living in the northwestern frontier would be slaughtered"(Davis2). This was known as the Parsley Massacre. No war would break out however. By 1941, the president of Haiti would go on to declare war on japan and even sent some troops in the Pacific theater to fight. To my knowledge however, it is unclear how many participated in the war effort. 

        There would be plenty of political strife in Haiti during the cold war and even after in the 2000s. Haiti right now is in a series of heated developments where a "coup has been arrested on the attempted assassination of the president."(Sanson). There is not too much information revealed on this topic however that can be 100% verified so I will leave off on this. Haiti since its original colonization has been through some of the bloodiest if not the bloodiest moments in the Caribbean. Haiti seems to never get a break when it comes to wars, revolutions, and other countries trying to gain control over it. Haiti is also plagued with horrible earthquakes such as the one in 2010 that was 7.0 on the scale killing 300,000+ people. So if anything the past is definitely reflected in its modern time. Aside from all that there are many things Haiti has retained since its past. 

                   Many locations and street names are named after terms from the Taino people. During the colonization and French Revolution, the African and Spanish and French settlers began integrating and many different mixed races emerged that are still present to this day such as the Creole. Haitian Creole (based on roots of Caribbean French) is the most spoken language of present day Haiti. "Many food recipes retain some heritage from Spanish, French, and African traditions such as the "Poulet aux noix and Accara but with an original Haitian twist"(Neogi). 

Reference Links: 

Neogi. “10 Most Popular Haitian Dishes.” Www.tasteatlas.com, www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-dishes-in-haiti. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.

Kiple, Kenneth F. The Caribbean Slave: A Biological History. Google Books, Cambridge University Press, 20 June 2002, books.google.com/books?id=veMLoyrX0BEC. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.

Stinchcombe, Arthur L. Sugar Island Slavery in the Age of Enlightenment: The Political Economy of the Caribbean World. Google Books, Princeton University Press, 11 Dec. 1995, books.google.com/books?id=6K-DocgDY6gC&pg=PA119#v=onepage&q&f=false. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.

Bryan, Patrick E. The Haitian Revolution and Its Effects. Google Books, Heinemann, 1984, books.google.com/books?id=q9owdkOc0wgC. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.

Renda, Mary A., et al. Taking Haiti : Military Occupation and the Culture of U.S. Imperialism, 1915-1940. Internet Archive, Chapel Hill : University of North Carolina Press, 2001, archive.org/details/takinghaiti00mary. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.

Venezky, Emily “Haitian Revolution | Causes, Summary, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/topic/Haitian-Revolution#:~:text=Put%20simply%2C%20the%20Haitian%20Revolution%2C%20a%20series%20of. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.

‌Davis, Nick. “The Massacre That Marked Haiti-Dominican Ties.” BBC News, 13 Oct. 2012, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19880967.

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“Haiti’s President Alleges Coup Conspiracy, Says 20 Arrested.” AP NEWS, 7 Feb. 2021, apnews.com/c46da963c82108c28ac6083435efd36f. Accessed 8 Feb. 2021.

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                                            List for 3 Islands 

                            1. Cuba 

                            2. Haiti/Tortuga

                             3. The Bahamas 

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