The History of Haiti

by Daniel Hoffman and Krysten Pfau

In the western one third of Hispaniola

Located in the Caribbean basin

Pre-Colonization

Population?

• Taino-Arawak Indians

• had Many different tribal Kingdoms

Environment?

• Caribbean island

• Rain, monsoons, hurricanes

• Mountainous

• Lush forests

Government?

• Kingdoms or chiefdoms

Paid tribute to the Cacique (or head chief) so he would oversee the village

• Marien (cacique Guacanagaric)

• Ciguayos (Cacique Caonabo)

• Magua (Cacique Guarionex)

• Xaragua (Cacique Behechio)

• Higuey (Cacique Cotubanama or Cayacoa)

Culture?

• The Taino-Arawakan Indians were a gentle people who appreciated simplicities in life before they were colonized by the Spanish

• Haiti was orginially called Hyaiti

• Spoke arawakan

• Clothing

• Men were naked

• Women sometimes wore short skirts

• Adorned their bodies with paint and shells

• hierarchy

• related to jobs

• Caciquie

• sub-cacique

• medicine man or priest

• villagers

• religion

• Polytheistic

• The Zemi

believed in worshiping ornaments that contained ancestral spirits and the afterlife

• wanted to attain Afterlife

• Giving thanks

• Celebrated with festivals, ceremonies, dancing, sculptures, paintings, etc

• would cover their bodies in shells or decorate them in other ways

• physical and metaphysical cleaning

• food source

• Hunting

• Fishing

The Spanish are coming!

A History of Haiti

Discovery

Results

• Taino-Arawak were at first friendly

• When Spanish men from the colony started to abuse them, the natives retaliated and killed them

• This didn't stop Columbus from making another settlement called La Isabela

• More spanish settlements were established as they further oppressed the natives

The Trouble with Settlers

• The Spanish began to colonize Haiti because

• resources

• Gold and silver

• forrests
• sugar plantations
• agricultural opportunities

• Slavery

• expanding their control

• Spreading Roman Catholicism

• Treatment of the natives was violent, oppressive, and brutal

• many were enslaved and killed

• Retaliation from the natives

• some of the caciques tried to retaliate, but none were very successful

• Caonabo led an uprising against the Spaniards after he had seen they showed violence toward his people.

• killed many sailors.

• fooled by the settlers in believing that they offered peace.

• Tricked into thinking that handcuffs were a type of metal ornaments
• Shipped away to Spain.

• Overall, the attitudes of the two groups fueled each other

• French and Spanish didn't care about natives, only about what they could gain
• Natives were furious because they were being used, abused, and mistreated

After Initial Settlement

FRENCHIES!

• Spain had total control over the island of Hispaniola.

• Early 17th century, the French settled in and part of the island (HAITI) was ceded to the French in 1697

• Haitian economy boomed

• introduction of slaves from Africa
• introduction of industry

• their biggest industry being forestry and sugar plantations

Haiti was a colony from

1492-1804 (a total of 312 years)

how did Haiti gain its independence?

• as a result of many slave rebellions and the Haitian rebellion, France's hold on Haiti diminished

• At the Battle of Vertieres, the slaves, lead by Dutty Boukman, defeated the French troops and demanded independence

Independence

(post-colonization)

• Haiti claimed its independence January 1, 1804

• First free black republic
• General Jean-Jacques Dessalines ruled
• whites still living in Haiti or who survived the battles were slaughtered and exiled
• He crowned himself Emperor of Haiti in 1805

• Overall, colonization proved to be negative

• The natives were abused, mistreated, enslaved, killed, ect.
• They lost their culture and traditions

• However, they gained an economic basis and connections to powerful countries
• They also were, and still are, an inspiration to all enslaved and mistreated people around the world

Present day Haiti

• French official language of Haiti

• Poorest country in Americas

• Still alot of devestation

• 2004, Jean-Bertrand Aristide forced out of office by rebellion

• January 12, 2010 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti

http://video.foxnews.com/v/3967785/haitis-history-of-hardship/?playlist_id=87249

be

• agriculture

• Christopher columbus discovered Hispaniola and claimed it for spain on December 5, 1492

• The Spanish started first colony after crash of Santa maria

• La Navidad

• The rebellions were fueled by slaves the French shipped in from western Africa
• They were fed up with the amount of violence and threats

A short video summarizing Haiti's history