Celebrating Haiti The Oldest Black Republic in the World Compiled by Dana Ockimey February, 2010

Geography of Haiti It is located in the West Indies It occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic It is two-thirds (2/3) mountainous, with the rest of the country marked by great valleys, plateaus, and small plains

Early History C. Columbus explored Haiti (then named Hispaniola) in 1492 (he was exploring for Spain) The Spanish ignored the development of the western part of the island, and the French colonists began importing African slaves and they developed sugar plantations (17th century)

Early History cont’d. 1697 ~ Spain was unable to support its claim to Haiti and ceded (gave up) to France Haiti became France’s most prosperous (wealthy) colony in the Americas It was one of the world’s chief (primary/main) coffee and sugar producers

Early History cont’d. The French settlement was first known as Saint-Dominique; but later the name Haiti was adopted based upon the native name of the area which meant “mountainous” 1791 ~ one of several slave rebellions erupted 1793 ~ Republican French forces with the aid of thousands of blacks defeated white royalist forces at Cap Francais

French Revolution In exchange for helping with the fight, the blacks were granted their freedom in August of 1793 It is believed that Spain & Britain agreed to divide Haiti between the two of them Pierre-Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture was a black slave of a family that trained him as a house servant and provided him with an education (he could read and write)

French Revolution L’Ouverture joined the rebellion Three black rebellion leaders chose not to ally (join) themselves with the republican French administrators of Haiti and instead committed themselves to the representatives of the Spanish king in Santo Domingo (L’Ouverture was on the side of the Spanish Spain and Britain were fighting to gain control of Haiti

French Revolution L’Ouverture decided to switch sides and joined the French because the republican French authorities had abolished slavery and even though Spain had promised to do the same it had not done so in the territory it had captured July, 1794 ~ France & Spain signed the Treaty of Ryswick which required Spain to turn over the western part of its holdings on the island of Hispaniola to France

French Revolution This agreement meant that Spain could no longer provide supplies or refuge to the black royalist troops fighting in Haiti Those troops then disbanded and joined Toussaint 1795 ~ Spain ceded the rest of its holdings on Hispaniola to France

French Revolution 1796 ~ mulatto forces were attempting to depose the French commander of republican troops and Toussaint came to his rescue In gratitude for his help, that commander made Toussaint the lieutenant governor of Haiti Toussaint won another fight in a clash with British forces and in 1801 a new constitution made Toussaint governor-general of Haiti for life

French Revolution 1802 ~ Napoleon Bonaparte sent 16 to 20 thousand troops to take control away from Toussaint Toussaint’s army was worn down, and two of his lieutenants along with their troops switched sides Toussaint surrendered, was taken to France where he was imprisoned and finally died

French Revolution When Napoleon restored slavery on the Caribbean island of Martinique, Haitian leaders rebelled against the French War between Britain and France broke out again To raise money, Napoleon sold Louisiana to the United States which now meant that Haiti no longer had strategic importance to France

French Revolution With Louisiana sold to the U.S., Napoleon no longer wanted to use military resources to suppress the rebellion to keep control of Haiti The French commander in Haiti fled to Jamaica Haiti was now in control of the black general Jean-Jacques Dessalines, a former field slave

Haitian Independence January 1, 1804 ~ Haiti declared independence from France 1805 ~ Dessalines declared himself Emperor of Haiti