By , the eastern two-thirds of the island—the part that would eventually become the Dominican Republic—was returned to Spain. Presidents did not remain in power very long in Haiti—by , multiple revolutions had overthrown the government many times.
From until , the country was occupied by U. Marines who were establishing a base to protect the entrances to the Panama Canal, a waterway in the Central American country of Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Starting in , the Duvalier family began its rule of Haiti.
Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier was elected president that year but became a dictator, refusing to give up his leadership role until his death in The younger Duvalier ruled Haiti from to People who didn't agree with his actions were often killed, and many Haitians fled the country to escape the harsh living conditions.
Finally, Duvalier's government was overthrown in Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president in during Haiti's first free and peaceful election.
His presidency lasted until , when Rene Preval was elected as his successor. Aristide was re-elected president in For the next four years, the country experienced violence, political corruption, and food shortages. In , Aristide was forced out of the country by protesters who were hoping for new leadership.
A series of new presidents followed, but most were controversial leaders like Aristide. During his time in office, he was also accused of being a corrupt ruler by some of his fellow Haitians.
He refused. Henry will oversee the government until the country holds an election for its next president on November 7, All rights reserved. Personality Quizzes. Funny Fill-In. Amazing Animals. Weird But True! Party Animals. Try This!
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It is not, as Haiti's detractors might claim, a pathology among Haitians or evidence of a curse. It is, instead, a function of the social, political, and economic legacies of Haiti's history as a former slave colony that gained its freedom against all odds.
In addition, as in many former colonies, the racial dynamics that Europeans imposed had a lasting impact. In the case of Haiti specifically, the three-tier racial hierarchy that had developed under French rule morphed into an antagonistic divide between former slaves and former members of the gens de couleur. Between and , severe racial discord caused significant violence in Haiti as each group sought to gain control over the government. These racial tensions were exacerbated by the political and economic devastation that the Haitian Revolution, decades of political and economic embargoes, and the national debt to France had wrought.
Vulnerable, and struggling to recover from decades of neglect, Haiti was soon targeted by many countries, including Germany and France, as a site for potential political and economic imperialism. Germany, in particular, developed strong economic interests in Haiti, and the presence of German investors in Haiti directly affected Haitian politics.
For instance, German forces put down a Haitian reform movement in that they feared would be injurious to their economic development plans. Ultimately, however, Germany's presence in Haiti had an even more profound impact on Haiti's destiny. In , following the outbreak of World War I, the U. Although the United States officially stayed neutral during much of the First World War, it remained determined to counteract Germany's potential power in the Americas. As a result, in , following more political conflict among the Haitian leadership, U.
President Woodrow Wilson sent American troops to invade Haiti and commenced what became a devastating and brutal military occupation. The United States occupied and ruled Haiti by force from to , often using violence to suppress Haitians who opposed foreign occupation.
In one skirmish, alone, the U. For nineteen years, the United States controlled customs in Haiti, collected taxes, and ran many governmental institutions, all of which benefited the United States.
In , for example, the United States extended Haiti a debt consolidation loan that was designed to pay off its remaining debt to France. But in many ways, Haiti simply exchanged one master for another. Although Haiti was finally free of its debt to France, it now had a new creditor—the U. Although the United States finally withdrew troops from Haiti in , the U. In order to do so, however, Haiti was forced to deplete its gold reserves, leaving the country bereft.
Perhaps more importantly, the removal of the U. Fearful that Haiti would fall to communism, the U. During that year period, Haitians were forced to live under dictators "Papa Doc" and "Baby Doc" Duvalier, a father and son team, who openly murdered their opponents and stole millions of dollars from the Haitian people. Even so, both Duvaliers enjoyed the backing of the United States because of their staunch "anti-communism" and the economic opportunities that Haiti offered American business.
Within a decade, Papa Doc declared himself "president for life" and imposed a brutal dictatorship. The U.
These problems grew exponentially under Baby Doc's leadership. In fact, many American politicians and businessmen saw Baby Doc's regime as an opportunity to exploit the island nation and turn it into "The Taiwan of the Caribbean. Given its proximity to the United States, American financial investors convinced the Haitian government to reduce its focus on agriculture and shift the economy towards manufacturing and export.
As Haiti expert Paul Farmer explained, U. The problem, however, was that Haiti's economy suffered immeasurably from this plan. Agricultural production dropped precipitously and Haiti was forced into a dependent and vulnerable economic position in the global market. In the meantime, Baby Doc's terror continued.
He formed death squads that murdered as many as 60, opponents of his regime, while stealing millions of dollars from the Haitian people and accumulating hundreds of millions of dollars in national debt.
Meanwhile, American investors have benefitted financially from the spiraling national debt. Baby Doc was forced to flee Haiti in , in the face of growing opposition from the Haitian people. Shortly thereafter, in , Haiti held free, peaceful, democratic elections which resulted in Jean-Bertrand Aristide's short-lived first presidency. Since , Haiti has continued to suffer extraordinary political conflict and violence. The last twenty years have only reinforced Haiti's popular negative reputation, as a country marred by corruption, poverty, incompetence, and ignorance.
Even today, Haiti is plagued by protests over financial mismanagement, riots in response to the October cholera epidemic and the November flooding from Hurricane Tomas, and outrage over alleged election fraud. As of the writing of this article, the Haitian Presidential elections remain contested. Election experts from the Organization of American States have just recently issued a report urging that the government-backed candidate, Jude Celestin, be dropped from the runoff elections because of fraudulent and improper ballots which would put Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly in the runoff with current front runner Mirlande Manigat.
Whatever the outcome of this election, however, current understandings of Haiti are incomplete without the broader historical context. One cannot grasp the reasons behind Haiti's plight unless one acknowledges Haiti's painful journey—the first years in which Haiti was punished, abused, and pushed aside from the global economy and political community, followed by the second years in which Haiti has been occupied, controlled, manipulated, and exploited.
And, in the end, it is the combination of these factors—the extremes of either neglect or overt imperialism, and the unending weight of external debt—that have caused Haiti's current predicament. As we mark the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake that killed an estimated , Haitians, we need to acknowledge the full history of Haiti and the role that the American government played in creating Haiti's plight.
This will be particularly crucial for those who wish to see Haiti recover, blossom, and grow in the coming years. Bill Quigley, "Why the U. Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Stanton Foundation. Skip to main content. The Ohio State University. Department of History. Home Topics Africa. Middle East. North America. International Relations Religion Education Sports.
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