Abstract
Haiti occupies the western third of the large island of Hispaniola which was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The Spanish colony was ceded to France in 1697 and became her most prosperous colony. After the extirpation of the Indians by the Spaniards (by 1533) large numbers of African slaves were imported whose descendants now populate the country. The slaves obtained their liberation following the French Revolution, but subsequently Napoleon sent his brother-in-law, Gen. Leclerc, to restore French authority and re-impose slavery. Toussaint Louverture, the leader of the slaves who had been appointed a French general and governor, was kidnapped and sent to France, where he died in gaol. However, the reckless courage of the Negro troops and the ravages of yellow fever forced the French to evacuate the island and surrender to the blockading British squadron.
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Further Reading
The official gazette is Le Moniteur.
Revue Agricole d’Haïti. From 1946. Quarterly
Bellegarde, D., Histoire du Peuple Haïtien. Port-au-Prince, 1953
Chambers, F. J., Haiti. [Bibliography] Oxford and Santa Barbara, 1983
Ferguson, J., Papa Doe Baby Doe: Haiti and the Duvaliers. Oxford, 1987
Laguerre, M.S., The Complete Haitiana. [Bibliography] London and New York, 1982
Lundahl, M., The Haitian Economy: Man, Land and Markets. London, 1983
Nicholls, D., From Dessalines to Duvalier: Race. Colour and National Independence in Haiti. CUP, rev., 1986.—Haiti in Caribbean Context: Ethnicity, Economy and Revolt. London. 1985
National Library: Bibliothèque Nationale. Rue du Centre. Port-au-Prince.
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© 1989 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
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Paxton, J. (1989). Haiti. In: Paxton, J. (eds) The Statesman’s Year-Book. The Statesman’s Yearbook. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230271180_77
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230271180_77
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-27118-0
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