Toussaint L’Ouverture

History of Haiti

ColumbusArrived in New World in

1492Established base in

Hispaniola Discovered gold there

Spanish SettlersRushed to HispaniolaForced Indians to mine gold

and raise foodBy 1530 only few hundred

Indians survived because of harsh treatment

Brought in slaves from Africa

Spanish Left For more prosperous colonies By 1606 so few left that Spanish

king ordered those remaining to move closer to main city (Santo Domingo)

Hispaniola, 1606 (Dutch

map)

French, English, & Dutch Settled north & west areas of island Many became pirates

–Attacked Spanish gold & silver shipments

Spain tried, unsuccessfully, to drive them out– In 1697, Spain recognized French control of western 1/3 of island

Renamed St. Dominique

French colonists brought African slaves

Developed large coffee & spice plantations

By 1788, 8 times more slaves (500,000) as

colonists

Toussaint’s Background

Birth ?1743 to 1746Plantation on St. Dominique

Personal servant to humane man–Opportunity to learn

Toussaint’s Family Eldest of 8 children Father had been African chief Parents & grandfather taught

him:–History–Languages–Philosophy

–Math –Family traditions–Christian faith

Island of Haiti, 1754 (French)

Course of Events in Struggle for Haitian

Independence

1789-1804

1789French RevolutionNational Assembly issued

Declaration of the Rights of Man –Free people of color in St. Dominique did not get promised citizenship

1790March 8National Assembly

–Voted to allow colonial whites to determine colony’s political life

–People of color could not

1791May 15National Assembly gave all free

men of color (with 2 free parents) full rights

This forced whites to consider separation from France

1791Aug. 22-23Slave revolt because of brutal

slave system–Toussaint helped his master’s family escape

St. Dominique whites decided to fight for freedom from France

1791Toussaint joined fight

–Doctor for St. Dominique army

–Eventually a leader (with knowledge based on reading works by Caesar & others)

1791Sept. 24Assembly revoked May 15th

decree

1792March 28Assembly reversed again

–All free men of color got full citizen rights

1792April 4Louis XVI signed May 15th

decree

1793February 1France declared war on BritainToussaint supported Spanish

–Spanish king would be secure–French republic too insecure

1793AugustNational Convention abolished

slavery in St. DominiqueBy year’s end, Toussaint had

conquered north-central St. Dominique for Spain

1793

Spain and Britain –Encouraged slaves to get freedom from the French

–May have had informal arrangement to divide colony

1794February 4France abolished slavery in

colonies

1794May 6Toussaint abandoned Spanish

–Spanish showed no signs of keeping word on freeing slaves

–British had reinstated slavery –If freedom was his goal, he had no choice…support the French

1794He joined French on

promise of freedom –Helped his family flee beforehand

–Became brigadier generalTide then swung in favor of

French

1794 July 22Peace agreement between

France and Spain

1795Treaty of Basel

–Spain ceded holdings to France–Ceased hostilities

Blacks who had remained loyal to Spanish flocked to Toussaint’s army

1796March 30Toussaint rescued French

commander from Mulatto-led effort to depose him–In reward he was made lieutenant governor of St. Dominique

1797 French Convention made

Toussaint commander-in-chief He resolved to quickly establish

autonomous black state–Expelled French commissioner–Made agreement with Britain to end hostilities

–Sought loyalty of Mulattos

1799After defeat of Spanish &

British, he moved toward independence from France

Wanted to be on equal footing with France and other major powers

1799War of the CastesFrench sought Mulatto

support to retain dominion over colony

Toussaint’s army fought Mulattos

1799 He asked US President John

Adams for help–Adams wanted the arrangement–Yet US young, insecure nation

The alliance–Adams sent arms and ships–Toussaint would stop French from using island as base

1799French & US revolutions inspired

him –Some officers had fought with French army in US War for Ind.

French governor gave him nickname L’Ouverture (break through enemy lines)

1799 Jefferson

–Referred to Toussaint’s army as cannibals

–As President reversed Adams’ St. Dominique policies

1799Nov. 9—Napoleon came to

powerWanted:

–Toussaint out–To reestablish slavery

1800May Toussaint became military

dictatorBelieved it was most efficientWorked on restoring order &

productivity

1800Needed export-oriented

economyRe-imposed plantation system

–Utilized non-slaves–Basically relied on forced labor

1800Oct. 1Secret treaty of San

IldefonsoSpain ceded Louisiana to

France

1801Colonial Assembly approved

constitution–Toussaint became Governor-General-For-Life

He “liberates” St. Dominique–Never formally severs bond with France

1801Constitution gave Napoleon

reason for sending French troops–Technically French colony–Acting as independent state

It worried slave-holding nations such as Britain & US

1801Napoleon regarded St.

Dominique as essential to French exploitation of New World

Napoleon is weakened–Toussaint drained resources of the colony

1802 January Napoleon sent troops to re-

enslave Blacks of St. Dominique–Aided by Mulattos & Whites

Two of Toussaint’s lieutenants transferred their allegiance to French

1802May 5Toussaint, recognizing his

weak position, surrenderedFrench assured him that he

could retire quietly

1802 JuneToussaint taken to FranceForbade his soldiers from

retaliating against French prisoners

1802

French commander, Rochambeau, retreated–Mutilated black prisoners –Left them to die slowly

1802Toussaint’s troops had

French prisoners hanged within sight of

French army

1802US newspapers covered uprisings

with Toussaint as black Napoleon –Intensified US slaveholders’ fear of US slave revolt

Inspired British (on verge of abolishing slave trade) to keep it

1802Other Blacks who had sided

with French now turned against them because of:–Betrayal of Toussaint–Napoleon’s restoration of slavery in Martinique

1803April 7Died of neglect in a jail in

the Alps

1803 April 30 Louisiana Purchase

–Napoleon needed money to fight British (began to consider sale on April 10)

–Revolution in St. Dominique crushed hope of American empire

1803May 12Britain declared war on

France –Aided Haitian rebels–Gave French someone to surrender to other than Blacks

1803November French commander in St.

Dominique surrendered to British –Never had gotten enough reinforcements and supplies

1804 January 1 Toussaint’s successor (one of his

lieutenants) declared St. Dominique the independent country of Haiti

Jean Jacques Dessalines became Haiti's first emperor in 1804– Gave it Arawak name Haiti– World's first independent black

republic

1822—After Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti

No Portrait While AliveWell-known portrait was

painted in 1832 by a Frenchman, influenced by 30 years of vilification, “a villain . . . this serpent which France has warmed in her bosom”

William Wordsworth’s “To Toussaint L’Ouverture”

Toussaint, the most unhappy man of men!Whether the whistling Rustic tend his ploughWithin thy hearing, or thy head be nowPillowed in some deep dungeon’s earless den;O miserable Chieftain! Where and whenWilt thou find patience? Yet die not; do thou Wear rather in thy bonds a cheerful brow:

Though fallen thyself, never to rise again,

Live, and take comfort. Thou hast left behind

Powers that will work for thee: air, earth, and skies;

There’s not a breathing of the common wind

That will forget thee; thou hast great allies;

Thy friends are exultations; agonies,

And love, and man’s unconquerable mind.

Journals of a Soldier, Howard

“This force (Toussaint) aided by disease and political events in Europe, defeated Napoleon’s ambition to build a great colonial empire in the Americas . . .”

Citizen Toussaint, Korngold

Korngold claims Toussaint entered into a secret treaty with the US on July 13, 1799. This was so that he would not send out troops against any English colony or the United States.

Citizen Toussaint, Korngold

“. . .but for the Negro general the (Louisiana)Territory might have remained a French colony.”

Citizen Toussaint, Korngold

“Napoleon’s ambition was to build a great colonial empire. The keystone of that empire was of course to be the incomparable colony of St. Domingo, from which France is said to have derived more profit than all

other nations derived from their combined colonies in Asia, Africa, & America.”

Citizen Toussaint, Korngold

“The first step in Napoleon’s colonial program was…the elimination of Toussaint Louverture. The second was the retrocession by Spain, to the French Republic, of the Louisiana Territory, for… St. Domingo…(was)… dependent for its supplies on

the United States,

Citizen Toussaint, Korngold

a dangerous neighbor both by its political example and its commercial and maritime rivalry with the mother country. The First Consul hoped to correct this evil by substituting Louisiana for the United States as a source of

supplies for St. Domingo.”

Citizen Toussaint, Korngold

“Had (he) succeeded (in subduing St. Dominique), Napoleon would have carried out his project, and the Louisiana Territory would have remained a French colony.”

Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Leyburn

“The part played by Toussaint for a brief moment in the history of the United States is full of significance. (I)f Napoleon had been successful in the re-conquest of Saint-Dominique he would have turned his attention to America rather than to Europe, for he had great colonial schemes.”

Decline Revolution wrecked Haiti's

economy Continued decline

– Years of strife between mulattos who dominated the economy and the majority black population

– Disputes with neighboring Santo Domingo

1900s After several dictatorships, bankrupt Haiti

accepted U.S. receivership 1905-1941– Occupation by US Marines 1915-1934 brought stability– Most densely populated WH nation

Democracy then followed by dictatorship 1957—François Duvalier, “Papa Doc”

– Secret police kept political stability with brutality 1971—His son, Jean-Claude, or “Baby Doc,”

succeeded after father’s death 1980s, one of first countries to have AIDS epidemic

– Fear of disease caused tourists to stay away– Tourist industry collapsed, causing rising unemployment– Unrest generated by economic crisis forced Baby Doc to

flee in 1986

1990s International community tried to establish

democracy 1991—First elected chief executive, Jean-

Bertrand Aristide– Leftist Roman Catholic priest– Seemed to promise new era in Haiti

Military took control in coup nine months later UN peacekeeping force, led by the US arrived

in 1994 and restored Aristide to office René Preval succeeded him in 1996 elections US soldiers and UN peacekeepers left in 2000

2000 Haiti's government remained ineffectual and

economy was in ruins– Highest rates of AIDS, malnutrition, and infant

mortality in region 2000, former president Aristide reelected

president– Elections boycotted by opposition– Foreign observers questioned results

US and other countries threatened Haiti with sanctions unless democratic procedures strengthened

Aristide, once charismatic champion of democracy, grew more authoritarian, incapable of improving people lives

2004 Jan.—Violent protests (Haiti's bicentennial)

– Protesters demanded Aristide resignation February—full-blown armed revolt

– Feb. 29—Aristide ousted because of protests, groups of armed rebels, and French and American pressure

US-led international force tried to restore order

Interim government took over September—Hurricane Jeanne

– Killed more than 2,400 people– Lawlessness and gang violence were

widespread– Interim government had no control over some

areas, which were run by armed former soldiers

2006 Feb. 7—Held elections

– Backed by 9,000 United Nations troops Former prime minister and Aristide protégé

René Préval, very popular among poor, seen as favorite

Election count indicated Préval's lead over other candidate dropping and that he would not win an outright majority

Préval contested election charging “massive fraud and gross errors had stained the process.”

Feb. 14—Interim government halted election count

Feb. 15--After votes recounted, Préval declared winner

2008-9 April 2008—Prime Minister Jacques-Édouard Alexis

was removed from office by Senate– It held him responsible for poor economy

President Preval designated Ericq Pierre as new prime minister, but lower house of Parliament rejected Pierre

July—Parliament approved nomination of Michèle Pierre-Louis for prime minister– Second woman prime minister of Haiti

Nov. 2009—Senate voted to oust Prime Minister Pierre-Louis– International donors saw her as competent

leader who could effectively use aid to improve infrastructure and economy

She was replaced by Jean-Max Bellerive

2010 Earthquake Magnitude 7.0 earthquake Struck 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince,

the country's capital Region's worst earthquake in 200+ years Fatalities are expected to near 100,000 Destroyed government buildings, foreign aid

offices, and countless slums Prime Minister Préval said, "Parliament has

collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed.“

UN mission in Haiti was destroyed, 16 members of UN peacekeeping force in Haiti killed, and hundreds of UN employees missing

Government– Constitution – 1987– Executive president and bicameral legislature– Elections

President every five years Chamber of Deputies every four years Senate every six years

Economy– World Bank estimates 85% of people live below absolute

poverty line– 2/3’s of employed work in agriculture, mainly in coffee

plantations which generate 25% of Haiti’s export earnings

Suffered from periodic droughts and low world prices Sugar cane, sweet potatoes, cocoa also exported

– Mining industry extracts marble, limestone and clay– Tourism, once promising, has all but vanished thanks to

political instability

Current Govt/Economy

Haiti Stats US Per capita income:

$1,300 Population (2009

est.): 9,035,536 (growth rate: 1.8%)

Infant mortality rate: 59.7/1000

Life expectancy: 60.7

Density per sq km: 323

Per capita income: $47,500

Population (2009 est.): 307,212,123 (growth rate: 0.9%);

Infant mortality rate: 6.2/1000

Life expectancy: 78.1

Density per sq mi: 85

2010 Earthquake

Presidential Palace

Toussaint L’Ouverture