Haiti: A Closer Look
This Columnist originally wrote an 8-part series of articles on the history of Haiti in October, 1994 – 30 years ago. In light of the recent comments by former President Donald Trump and Vice President candidate J.D. Vance on the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, I have decided to repeat some of the information that appeared in this series.
The lies told by both of these two candidates about Haitians eating and abusing pets need to be corrected. It has not only harmed the Haitian immigrants in Ohio, it has affected Haitians in many other parts of the country. The Haitians have made many positive contributions to our country in the past and still do today including fighting along with the white colonists in the Revolutionary War in many places in this country.
The Haitian immigrants need to be treated with dignity and respect for their service to our country. I produced a film about the history of Haiti. I will share some of the information in this column. My goal is to give background on the history of Haiti. Haiti is a poor country and it has suffered severe economic problems for many years. However, when you read the information about its history you will gain a better understanding of the reasons behind the poverty and instability. In this article I will start at the beginning.
Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Haiti in 1492 and it became a Spanish colony. When Columbus landed, he found the beautiful Arawak Indians. He claimed to be a friend to the Indians and he charmed them with expensive gifts. Perhaps if Christopher Columbus had stayed home, Haiti would not be in the mess it is today. The Indians were the original inhabitants of this country. As a result of the unfortunate landing of Columbus in 1492, within 50 years, approximately half a million Arawak Indians were killed and destroyed. Their culture and traditions disappeared as the Spanish invaders forced them to work in the gold mines.
This destruction of the native Indian population brought about the beginning of African enslavement in the new world. This area at the time of Columbus was known as Hispaniola. The Indians were treated so badly, that by 1530, only a few hundred Indians were alive. After a period of time the Spanish began leaving for more prosperous settlements in Peru and Mexico. Then the French, the English, and the Dutch moved in and took over the northern and western coasts. Many of these settlers became pirates called buccaneers. They later began attacking Spanish ships carrying gold and silver to Spain.
The French outnumbered other Europeans and so established more permanent settlements and began to import Black slaves. They prospered at the expense of the slaves. A law was passed called the Code Noir of 1685, which denied the slaves any human rights and gave the slave master full authority to punish slaves as they saw fit. The destruction of Haiti began with the arrival of the Europeans. If you look at a map of Haiti, you will see that the Island is divided with the Dominican Republic right at its side. The French took the other half and called it Saint Dominique. On January 1, 1804, the name Saint Dominique was changed to Haiti.
One of the things that makes it very confusing in trying to trace Black history is the fact that the name changes can make it very difficult to get at the truth. The important fact here is that it was the Europeans who divided the land in the beginning for their own selfish, greedy purposes. They killed and destroyed millions of innocent people. When they got rid of the Indians, they came after the Blacks. During this time, Haiti became one of the richest colonies in the Carribbean. The wealth of the French was built on the backs of Black slaves. These slaves were uprooted from Africa and treated in the most barbaric and inhuman way. They were whipped and branded. Their ears were cut off if they tried to escape. The French colonists became super rich dealing in sugar, coffee, indigo and spice plantations using the labor of the slaves. The French left a system of military rule and a system of racism which Haiti has never been able to overcome.
The discussion will include the role of the Haitian leader known as Toussaint L’Overture and the other liberators of Haiti. Due to the length of this series, I will only publish sections of the series. I hope you will share this information with your family and friends!!