It was the second country to become a republic in the Americas when it gained independence following a 10-year slave rebellion, making it the first republic in the world to be led by people of African-descent. When Columbus landed in the island of Hispaniola on December 6, 1492, he found a kingdom ruled by a cacique, or Taino Indian chief. The recorded history of Haiti began on 5 December 1492 when the European navigator Christopher Columbus happened upon a large island in the region of the western Atlantic Ocean that later came to be known as the Caribbean. Haiti vs. Dominican Republic (A Longer Case Study) Comparing the 2 neighbors is a particularly effective way of understanding Haiti’s history. The major cities are: Cap-Haïtien, Jérémie, Les Cayes, Hinche, Gonaïves, and Jacmel. It was formerly a colony of Spain and France. Early History Haiti has a uniquely tragic history. South of the Cul-de-Sac Plain is the fourth major range, called the Massif de la Selle in Haiti and the Sierra de Baoruco in the Dominican Republic. This migration between Haiti and America forged links between the two countries. This was not the only brush that Haiti has had with natural disasters. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Before the earthquake of January 12, 2010, that killed an estimated 300,000 people, injured over 200,000, and left over 1.5 million homeless, it was estimated that about 3 million people lived in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. In fact, the ties that bind the two countries go back to the time when the U.S. was fighting for its own independence. Video dedicated to all the Americans who do not see that Haiti is in the state it is because of your government. What is the world’s largest archipelago? Natural disasters, poverty, racial discord, and political instability have plagued the small country throughout its history. Tortue Island has an area of about 70 square miles (180 square km). The only cash crop was coffee, grown on some sparse bushes in the mountains. In 1908, the country totally broke down. Its funny how only Haiti's bad side catches manny eyes than the good one. Considered France’s richest colony in the eighteenth century, Haiti was known as “the pearl of the Antilles.” Resisting their exploitation, Haitians revolted against the French from 1791-1804. A monument in Franklin Square in downtown Savannah was erected in October 2009 to commemorate those who fought in that battle. Haiti is slightly smaller than the state of Maryland. It was first brought revealed 1806 by President Alexandre Petion, but was most recently reintroduced to the country in 2012. In fact, the Louisiana Purchase was a direct consequence of the Haitian revolt. Before the arrival of Europeans, Arawak (also known as Taino) and Carib Indians inhabited the island of Hispaniola. During this time, many literary works were produced by Haitian writers focussing on nationalism and the movement for independence. Haiti is considered one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, with more than 60% of its population living in poverty. In spite of slavery, multiple coups, various occupations, and militarization, Haiti continuously fights to remain strong. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity & Access,
[email protected], Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses). Amongst these early settlers were the Ciboney peoples, followed by the Taíno, speakers of an Arawakan language, elements of which have been preserved in Haitian Creole. In 2004, Haiti fell victim to Tropical Storm, Jeanne which killed more than 3,000 people. Over the centuries, however, economic, political, and social difficulties, as well as a number of natural disasters, have beset Haiti with chronic poverty and other serious problems. By the early twentieth century, the population was uneducated, poor and hungry. Updates? The French continued the sugar economy and introducedcoffee. In 1492 Christopher Columbus became the first European to discover the island of Hispaniola, which has since been divided between the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Within the gulf lies Gonâve Island, which has an area of approximately 290 square miles (750 square km). The backbone of the island of Hispaniola consists of four major mountain ranges that extend from west to east. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. Yet Christopher's brother Bartholomew continued to explore the island and Spanish settlers … The range forms the northern boundary to the narrow Cul-de-Sac Plain, which is immediately adjacent to Port-au-Prince and includes the brackish Lake Saumâtre on the Dominican border. The island of Hispaniola, of which Haiti occupies the western three-eighths, has been inhabited since about 5000 BC by groups of Native Americans thought to have arrived from Central or South America. Haiti’s irregular coastline forms a long, slender peninsula in the south and a shorter one in the north, separated by the triangular-shaped Gulf of Gonâve. The lower hills are covered with red clays and loams. The original economic basis for the Spanish colonieson Hispaniola wassugar plantations. Considered France’s richest colony in the eighteenth century, Haiti was known as “the pearl of the Antilles.” Resisting their exploitation, Haitians revolted against the French from 1791-1804. Haiti forms part of the island of Hispaniola. One of 34 U.S. public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities. In eastern Haiti the river was impounded as Lake Péligre in the mid-20th century; a hydroelectric complex began operating at Péligre in 1971, but its power output has been unreliable during the dry season. Haiti’s mountains are mainly limestone, although some volcanic formations can be found, particularly in the Massif du Nord. Haiti is subject to periodic seismic activity; earthquakes destroyed Cap-Haïtien in 1842 and Port-au-Prince in 1751 and 1770. The Artibonite then skirts the Noires Mountains as it flows to the Gulf of Gonâve. Deforestation has caused much soil erosion, and as much as one-third of Haiti’s land may have eroded beyond recovery. Haiti is bordered to the east by the Dominican Republic, which covers the rest of Hispaniola, to the south and west by the Caribbean, and to the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Genetic studies show that some of these groups were related to the Yanomami of the Amazon Basin. The Citadel (Citadelle Laferrière), a fortress built by Haitian ruler Henry Christophe in the early 19th century, stands atop one of the peaks overlooking the city of Cap-Haïtien and the narrow coastal plain. Discover all that’s great about Lawrence. The most northerly range, known as the Cordillera Septentrional in the Dominican Republic, occurs in Haiti only on Tortue Island, off the northern coast. Sort out the facts about islands across the globe. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Finals Schedule | GPA Calculator. In January 2010 another catastrophic earthquake and its aftershocks resulted in severe damage to Port-au-Prince. The soils in the mountains are thin and lose fertility quickly when cultivated. Before the earthquake Haiti was a beauty country with great people. Since gaining independence from France in a bloody rebellion in 1804, Haiti had gone through a succession of dictators. More info », Teaching Haiti Beyond Literature: Intersectionalities of History, Literature and Culture University Press of Florida [Under Contract]. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Top 50 nationwide for size of library collection. Jamaica is some 120 miles (190 km) west of the southern peninsula, across the Jamaica Channel, and Great Inagua Island (of The Bahamas) lies roughly 70 miles (110 km) to the north. Hurricane Gordon hit Haiti and resulted in the deaths of at least 1,000 Haitians. In his 1956 autobiography, I Wonder as I Wander: An Autobiographical Journey, Hughes described his trip to Haiti and his meeting with Roumain. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. However, when the United States occupied Haiti from 1915-1934, changed Haiti’s constitution, and in many ways further contributed to its ongoing instability, many African-Americans denounced the occupation of a sovereign nation. A beautiful, hilly campus is just one reason why Jayhawks fall in love with KU. Like France, the United States did not recognize Haiti’s independence until 1862, precisely because white Americans worried that Haiti’s existence challenged their slave-driven economy. Compared to the political history, the economic history of Haiti isrelatively simple. Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Haiti, The University of Kansas - Institute of Haitian Studies - Haiti: A brief history of a complex nation, Haiti - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Haiti - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Buildings collapsed throughout the capital and surrounding region, including many homes as well as large public structures such as the National Palace, the city’s cathedral, and hospitals. Haiti is an island country in the Caribbean bordered by the Dominican Republic. 5th nationwide for service to veterans
Haiti has a complex, rich, fascinating, and tumultuous culture and history with stories of resistance, revolt, and instability. Important events, famous birthdays and historical deaths from our searchable today in history archives. Columbus built a fort on the island and he left 39 men to man it. Cuba lies some 50 miles (80 km) west of Haiti’s northern peninsula, across the Windward Passage, a strait connecting the Atlantic to the Caribbean. What are the islands of the Maldives made of? However when he returned in 1493 he found the Arawaks had killed them. Haiti, whose population is almost entirely descended from African slaves, won independence from France in 1804, making it the second country in the Americas, after the United States, to free itself from colonial rule. 18. Haiti’s First Flag. After the Haitian revolt started in 1791, many Saint-Dominguans eventually settled in Louisiana. The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. A big city vibe. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of US$797 and a Human Development Index ranking of 169 out of 189 countries in 2019. The history of how Haiti won its independence, carrying out the first-ever successful slave rebellion. The sixth-largest death toll in history happened in Haiti in 1963, when Hurricane Flora hit it, causing almost 8000 deaths.. 19. Two years later Boyer invades and overwhelms the eastern half of the island, Santo Domingo, where the inhabitants have in 1821 risen in rebellion against Spain. This current flag that we see today has a long history. Corrections? The Dominican Republic is made up of Afro-European mixed blooded people and their roots are deeply influenced by Spanish colonialism. The surrounding seas are renowned for their coral reefs. Estimates of the number of people killed ranged upward of 200,000, and several hundred thousand others were injured. Hughes was very impressed by Roumain and eventually translated his seminal work, Gouverneurs de la Rosée, into English as Masters of the Dew. The second major range, Haiti’s Massif du Nord (“Northern Massif”), is a series of parallel chains known in the Dominican Republic as the Cordillera Central. Haiti History, Language and Culture History of Haiti. Haiti's riches could only be exploited by importing up to 40,000 slaves a year, and in the late 18th century Haiti accounted for more than one-third of the entire Atlantic slave trade. One of the most important outcomes of this revolution was that it forced Napoleon Bonaparte to sell Louisiana to the U.S. in 1803, resulting in a major territorial expansion of the United States. This land deal doubled the size of the U.S., adding to its holdings either in part or whole: Louisiana, Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. Omissions? The third major range, known as the Matheux Mountains (Chaîne des Matheux) in west-central Haiti and the Trou d’Eau Mountains (Chaîne du Trou d’Eau) farther east, corresponds to the Sierra de Neiba in the Dominican Republic. But what has really left Haiti in such a state today, what makes the country a constant and heart-rending site of recurring catastrophe, is its history. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living in poverty. Haiti claims sovereignty over Navassa (Navase) Island, an uninhabited U.S.-administered islet about 35 miles (55 km) to the west in the Jamaica Channel. The Taíno name for the entire islan… About two-thirds of the population live off subsistence farming and are vulnerable to the frequent storms, which destroy their crops and erode the land.