Me too. You can mostly thank the US and especially France for that tbh. They both extorted Haiti for a debt of lost “property” owed to France. And by “property” I mean formerly enslaved human beings! That shit went on for 122 years and the first annual payment “owed” was of SIX TIMES the annual revenue of Haiti! 🤬
The New York Times did what I think was the best article ever on this entire subject in 2022, and while it is a very long read, it is a deep and accurate dive into the French history, endless threats of war and repayments, and then the US coming into take whatever was left in the 20th century. And the pictures are also incredibly good, especially the ruins of La Citadelle in the fog (having just read exactly what it was there for).
Easily the most informative – and moving – piece I have ever read on Haiti. If I remember correctly, it started off as a journalist’s attempt to tally the actual numbers, and ended up being a great deal more. It also explores how it wasn’t just the loss of Haiti’s cash to France, but the parallel loss of not having any of that cash invested in its own people, commerce, or society: it was a double blow that has gone on for centuries.
Me too. You can mostly thank the US and especially France for that tbh. They both extorted Haiti for a debt of lost “property” owed to France. And by “property” I mean formerly enslaved human beings! That shit went on for 122 years and the first annual payment “owed” was of SIX TIMES the annual revenue of Haiti! 🤬
Wikipedia article
The New York Times did what I think was the best article ever on this entire subject in 2022, and while it is a very long read, it is a deep and accurate dive into the French history, endless threats of war and repayments, and then the US coming into take whatever was left in the 20th century. And the pictures are also incredibly good, especially the ruins of La Citadelle in the fog (having just read exactly what it was there for).
Easily the most informative – and moving – piece I have ever read on Haiti. If I remember correctly, it started off as a journalist’s attempt to tally the actual numbers, and ended up being a great deal more. It also explores how it wasn’t just the loss of Haiti’s cash to France, but the parallel loss of not having any of that cash invested in its own people, commerce, or society: it was a double blow that has gone on for centuries.
Here are the links for anyone interested:
NY Times – The Root of Haiti’s Misery: Reparations to Enslavers
Gift link