Haiti Flashcards
Haiti overview
Spanish, French, independence
Spanish: 1492-1697
French: 1697-1804
Slave rebellion: Toussaint L’Ouverture from 1791
Independence: Dessalines in 1804
St. Domingue
Most profitable colony in the world
Production: 1st in sugar and 50% of global coffee
Ruthless treatment: 5-10% of the slave populaiton was worked to death per year
Dominican Republic
Spanish: 1492-1795, 1808-21 and 1861-65
French: 1795-1805
Haitian: 1805-09 and 1821-44
Gained independence in 1860s but asked to be spanish again
Far wealtheir and developed than Haiti
Stereotypical explanations of haitian poverty
nature, disasters, racism, propaganda
Nature: topography and weather, unsuitable for development
Natural disasters: earthquake of 2010
Racist beliefs: only ruled by black leaders and the practice of voodoo
Propaganda: developed by europeans to stigmatise Haitian culture
Role of the french
Environment and reparations
Environment: deforestation and poor agricultural practices (depletion of nutrients)
Reparations: compensation for its losses in the war (560 million dollars, 80% of government budget in 1914)
Political reasons
isolation, european apathy, military
Total isolation: couldn’t establish diplomatic ties with its neighbours (European colonies)
Apathy from Europe: wanted to discourage similar rebellions
Military: high investments into defense for fear of european invasions
Social
White elite class: disappeared after independence and took their capital w them
Economic
Decline of plantation economy, un-diversified
Dictators
Papa Doc (1957-71) and Baby Doc (1971-86)
Foreign interference
US occupation: in 1915-35
Cold War: support for dictators
Neoliberalism: measures imposed by IMF
Neoliberal measures
Aristide: democratically elected left-wing leader (90s) - only given international support after agreeing to a set of neoliberal terms
Reduction of customs tariffs to 3%, lowest in the americas
Food production went from being majority domestic to majority imported
