Appendix 1:Haitian History
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Republic of Haiti shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with the Dominican
Republic. Shaped like a “giant
lobster claw” Haiti is a mountainous nation that occupies the western third
of the Island. It is a colourful country with blue skies, brilliant flowers,
white beaches and green farmlands that back against the mountains.
The Island of
Hispanola had a population of three million Taino people when Christopher
Columbus arrived in 1492. Spanish entrepreneurs seeking gold enslaved the Taino
people and they eventually died off through disease, over work or death trying
to escape. In a few decades the Spanish brought in African slaves to work in the
mines and plantations.
In 1625 the
French landed on the island, fought for control and eventually won the western
third of the island which became Saint-Domingue. The French developed
plantations of cotton, sugar cane and coffee. They brought in their own slaves
by the thousands. When the French Revolution broke out in France in 1789 there
were some 45,000 slaves and 30,000 free people of mixed blood in Saint-Domingue
revolution took place shortly after the one in France. With the colony facing a
full-scale invasion by Britain, the rebel slaves emerged as a powerful military
force, under the leadership of Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines,
and Henri Christophe. Louverture successfully drove back the British and by 1798
was the de facto ruler of the colony.
Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared independence, reclaiming the indigenous Taíno
name of Haiti (Land of Mountains) for the new nation. Haiti is the world’s
oldest Black republic and the second-oldest republic in the Western Hemisphere,
after the United States.
after a period of instability, Haiti enjoyed a relatively stable period with
peaceful transitions of government and a flowering of art and culture. This
period of relative stability and prosperity ended in 1911 when revolution broke
out and the country slid once again into disorder and debt. In 1915 the United
States, which had banking interests in Haiti and feared a growing German
influence, occupied the country. They stayed until 1934 while keeping a
financial interest until mid-century.
resented the Americans and resisted them. One of their national heroes is
General Charlemagne Peralte
who was killed in 1919 by the occupying forces. Thousands of Haitians died
during the occupation with some estimations as high as 15,000. In 1930, Sténio
Vincent, a long-time critic of the occupation, was elected President, and the
U.S. began to withdraw its forces.
It was during
this time that Dr. Monestime was growing up in Haiti. He became involved in the
Government first under
President Vincent and then under the President
Élie Lescot in 1941. After
Dr. Monestime left in 1946, a military junta handed over power to Dumarsais
Estimé, a black Haitian, who introduced major reforms in labour and social
policy, and greatly expanded civil and political liberties for the Black
majority. Another coup brought to power
General Paul Magloire in
1950 who established a dictatorship which lasted until December 1956, when he
was forced to resign as a result of a general strike. After a period of disorder
Dr. François Duvalier, coincidentally a former school mate of Dr. Monestime’s,
was elected President in September 1957.
Over the next
30 years Duvalier and his son “Baby Doc” ruled by force. A small group at the
top lived the good life while the ordinary citizen lived in poverty. Many left
the country to settle elsewhere.
was finally expelled in 1986 and a new constitution provided for free elections.
Reverend Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected in 1990 but was overthrown within a
year and anarchy reigned until the U.S. again brought in troops and Aristide
returned and won another election. International troops provided peace keeping.
Aristede again left under strange circumstance. Another election took place in
2006 with Rene Préval winning a five year term.
Haitian population and their difficult way of life has led to many leaving for
other countries for a better opportunity. In the 1940s the few Haitian
immigrants to Canada were usually professionals. Even then indications are that
there were less than 40 arrivals. Dr. Monestime was one.
In the late
1950s during the Duvalier era and to the present day thousands sought hope in
the United States and Canada and elsewhere. It is estimated that there are over
one million Haitians in the U.S. - many in the New York and Miami areas and
other cities where Haitian cultural “enclaves” have developed. Many came to
Florida illegally in makeshift boats.
immigrants chose Quebec as their new home because of the language and religion.
About 95% of all Canadian arrivals of Haitians overall went to Quebec. Since
professionals were not allowed to leave Haiti, many came as political refugees
without proper documents and were welcomed.
Many who came
later were sponsored immigrants who were accepted because they had relatives
here. Most live in and around Montreal. Michaëlle Jean came to Canada in 1968.
She became Canada’s first Black Governor General in 2008.
extensive Haitian cultural activity in Canada. They have their own newspapers,
periodicals and radio programs. There is an excellent Haitian art scene with
paintings, sculpture and music. There are many outstanding authors and athletes,
especially in Quebec.
have aligned with other Blacks for political and social reasons to fight some of
the contradictions and barriers in society here as elsewhere. There is no doubt
that Haitians are a vibrant community with a major role to play in Canada’s
Haiti is the
most densely populated nation (over 8 million people) and the poorest in the
western hemisphere. About 80% live under the poverty line and 54% live in abject
poverty. Most Haitians work in the agricultural sector on small subsistence
farms. Deforestation and weather continue to create great difficulty.
There is some
sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, and product assembly based on imported
components. Haitians depend on imports for much of their food, manufactured
goods, machinery, transportation equipment, fuel, and raw materials. Most comes
from the U.S. Canada provides millions in aid, peacekeepers and other support.
expectancy in Haiti is 51 years and literacy is about 50%. French and Creole are
the languages of the country with French primarily used by the upper class. The
country is primarily Roman Catholic with some Voodoo practiced. There is an
approximate 10% professional population. About 95% of Haitians are of African
contributes millions in aid to Haiti. Canada’s Governor General Michaëlle Jean
visited Haiti in early 2009 where she met the new Haitian Prime Minister Michele
Pierre-Louis whom she described as “very dynamic and worth knowing.” Michaëlle
Jean emphasized that Haiti was politically stable but that the situation was
“terrible” because of the food crisis, the hurricanes and tropical storms in
2008, and that the situation was becoming worse with the economic crisis.