Welcome To The Haitian Society

Major Events Ordered by Date:

1492
Christopher Columbus lands and claims the island of Hispaniola for Spain. The Spanish build the New World's first settlement at La Navidad on Haiti's north coast.

1697
Spanish control over the colony ends with the Treaty of Ryswick, which divided the island into French-controlled St. Domingue and Spanish Santo Domingo.
For over 100 years the colony of St. Domingue (known as the Pearl of the Antilles) was France's most important overseas territory, which supplied it with sugar, rum, coffee and cotton. At the height of slavery, near the end of the 18th century, some 500,000 people mainly of western African origin, were enslaved by the French.

1791-1803
A slave rebellion is launched by the Jamaican-born Boukman leading to a protracted 13-year war of liberation against St. Domingue's colonists and later, Napoleon's army which was also assisted by Spanish and British forces. The slave armies were commanded by General Toussaint Louverture who was eventually betrayed by his officers Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henri Christophe who opposed his policies, which included reconciliation with the French. He was subsequently exiled to France where he died.

1803
The Haitian blue and red flag is devised at Arcahie, by taking the French tricolor, turning it in its side and removing the white band. The Battle of Vertières marks the ultimate victory of the former slaves over the French.

1804
The hemispere's second Republic is declared on January 1, 1804 by General Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Haiti, or Ayiti in Creole, is the name given to the land by the former Taino-Arawak peoples, meaning "mountainous country."

1806
Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines is assassinated.

1807-20
Civil war racks the country, which divides into the northern kingdom of Henri Christophe and the southern republic governed by Alexandre Pétion. Faced with a rebellion by his own army, Christophe commits suicide, paving the way for Jean-Pierre Boyer to reunify the country and become President of the entire republic in 1820.

1821
President Boyer invades Santo Domingo following its declaration of independence from Spain. The entire island is now controlled by Haiti until 1844.

1838
France recognizes Haitian independence in exchange for a financial indemnity of 150 million francs. Most nations including the United States shunned Haiti for almost forty years, fearful that its example could stir unrest there and in other slaveholding countries. Over the next few decades Haiti is forced to take out loans of 70 million francs to repay the indemnity and gain international recognition.

1862
The United States finally grants Haiti diplomatic recognition sending Frederick Douglass as its Consular Minister.

1915
President Woodrow Wilson orders the U.S. Marines to occupy Haiti and establish control over customs-houses and port authorities. The Haitian National Guard is created by the occupying Americans. The Marines force peasants into corvée labor building roads. Peasant resistance to the occupiers grows under the leadership of Charlemagne Peralt, who is betrayed and assassinated by Marines in 1919.

1934
The U.S. withdraws from Haiti leaving the Haitian Armed Forces in place throughout the country.

1937
Thousands of Haitians living near the border of the Dominican Republic are massacred by Dominican soldiers under the orders of President General Trujillo.

1957
After several attempts to move forward democratically ultimately fail, military-controlled elections lead to victory for Dr. François Duvalier, who in 1964 declares himself President-for-Life and forms the infamous paramilitary Tonton Macoute. The corrupt Duvalier dictatorship marks one of the saddest chapters in Haitian history with tens of thousands killed or exiled.

1971
"Papa-Doc" Duvalier dies in office after naming his 19 year-old son Jean-Claude (Baby Doc) as his successor. Baby Doc proves more ruthless than his father.

1972
The first Haitian "boat people" fleeing the country land in Florida.

1976
Widespread protests against repression of the nation's press take place.

1970s-1980s
"Baby-Doc" Duvalier exploits international assistance and seeks to attract investment leading to the establishment of textile-based assembly industries. Attempts by workers and political parties to organize are quickly and regularly crushed.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Haiti
• Haitian

[MrTirobert1]

The Dominican are also drug dealers, distributing cocaine for Columbia. They have also been found guilty of snatching little Haitian girls from Haiti into the Dominican Republic for the sex industry. For many years the Dominicans have been going into Haiti to steal cars. Most Dominicans are pimp, drug dealers, rapists and thieves.

[loudenanuma]

Nations that have gratitude for Haiti are Venezuela, Cuba. I want to say thank you to them for everything they have done, Let students study for free , oil even material for constriction. They started project to help Haiti .now,! Who knows?,

[TheVoiceofReason17]

@MrTirobert1 Most? You are very misinformed sir....

[holloween2011]

@beccalud21 this is old but dominicans are black, spanish, and some with Taino descent. been to the country and my wife is dominican with dirty blond long curly hair and green eyes. her mother is black with naturally straight hair and her father is white curly haired dominican, and there all proud of being mixed. i went to the island and her family is mixed and her neighbors etc. i went to jacmel and port au prnce, i thought i was in Africa. people get mad cuz they dont identify as just black..

[holloween2011]

@MrTirobert1 i kno this is old, but who do you think sells those those underage girls to the dominicans, or as the haitians commonly know them as "rastavecs"... and yes there are dominican drug dealers pimps etc. but but to say all is just silly, expecially when haiti has had even members of government rape and murder people for fun and intimidation, or today, the gangs that rape and murder the homeless people living in the tent cities in haiti... if it isnt the pot callin the kettle black....

[JimenezMelissa]

@wugufugu Stupid comment to make!!!! Total lack of knowledge, complete ignorance and utter stupidity... shame on you!

Fear not Haiti, you have friends in Trinidad and Tobago. Haiti WILL rise! Good luck,,,,

[myleftnutts]

@loudenanuma the Haitian people can learn a LOT from the "Cuban" and "Venezuelian People" and that is just because u make 1 revolution U Must alway's be Vigiliant in order to Defend that Revolution,this is what the Cuban people learned a long time ago,and what the Venezuelian people learned from them,the Haitian people would do well to learn this lesson as well.

[maniche1427]

Love the pictures. My four trips to Haiti have been a blessing!

[888spanishguy]

@wugufugu racist... -_-

[beccalud21]

Dominicans are so fucking ignorant ,they don't even know their own history..you are black!!!. you're not spanish and not from Spain.....so fuck off!! let us ''proud Haitians"" comment here!! questions why there are so many dominican women in Haiti fucking anyone for 2 bucks?>>?? prostitutes!! get the fuck out !!! we don't want you in our country!!!!

[pinklove921]

@MrTirobert1 its not about white or black men its about culture dude we are so different in one island we are stuck with each other thats we even speak different languages im dominican by the way 100%

[litedatah]

Thank you so much from 1 Zoe to another ;o) I too must go into the library of my people history( i feel bad when my american friends know more bout my country then I do) but it's never too late to start. Merci