Two hundred and twenty years ago, former slaves and free people of color accomplished the seemingly ..read more

haitianhistory: The entire team at haitianhistory on tumblr wishes you a very Happy Haitian Flag Day!  ..read more

haitianhistory: Image: François Duvalier on July 30, 1958 following the first serious coup attempt against his authority. Courtesy of:  Haïti-Référence.  Duvalier, power and symbolism : The case of the 1964 flag Much mystery surrounds the adoption and the true colours elected for the would-be Haitian flag espoused by Dessalines at Arcahaie in May 1803. The often cited story of Dessalines theatrically ripping the white portion of the French tricolor and the remains being sewed back together by Catherine Flon has been interpreted in popular culture as the tale of an alliance betwe ..read more

haitianhistory: Catherine Flon by Haitian-American artist Alexandra Barbot. According to Haitian folklore, Catherine Flonwas a female revolutionary who sewed the first Haitian flag together after Jean-Jacques Dessalines had ripped apart the white section of the French tricolour, therefore, graphically representing a break from the metropole. Catherine Flon’saction (of sewing the flag) was understood, by some, as sort of declaration, demanding that insurgents band together for the last battles of the Revolution. More symbolically even, It also meant that ..read more

Hello! Many thanks for your question! The only video of his return I know of is this one. I’ve ..read more

haitianhistory: Celebrating Haiti’s founding anniversary  Celebrating the anniversary of “unthinkable” history While for many years scholars considered that the Haitian Revolution had been “silenced” both in Western academia and in popular culture (Trouillot, 1995), today, the thirteen-year struggle that led to the creation of Haiti as a nation-state is largely acknowledged as one of the most important events in the Age of Revolution (1774-1849). As historian Jeremy D. Popkin (2012) notes, the Haitian Declaration of Independence “struck a blow against the institutions of slavery an ..read more

haitianhistory: Today in Haitian History - October 17, 1806 – Assassination of Jean-Jacques Dessalines Born a slave in 1758, Jean-Jacques Dessalines rose to become one of the most important military leaders during the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) and Haiti’s first head of state until his assassination in 1806 following an insurrection in the South.  Although Dessalines’ overall legacy has greatly evolved with time and most historians today recognize the importance of his state-building initiatives, scholars remain divided as to his ultimate legacy. On the one hand, they ..read more

haitianhistory: Today in Haitian History - August 23, 1791 - Saint-Domingue’s slaves revolt against their masters  Although by August 1791 Saint-Domingue was already the theatre of much violence, it was the slave uprising during the night of August 22nd to August 23rd that most historians today recognize as the starting point of the Haitian Revolution.  The French Revolution sent waves throughout the Atlantic. In Saint-Domingue, while the grand blancs population (taking advantage of the calling of the Third Estate) was arguing for more autonomy from the metropole, most of the ..read more

haitianhistory: Today in Haitian History - August 18, 1944 – Death of Haitian political activist and novelist Jacques Roumain Born into wealthy “mulatto” family in Port-au-Prince in June 1907, Jacques Roumain rose to become one of the most celebrated figures of his time. While outside of Haiti, he is often remembered for his posthumous magnum opus, Gouverneurs de la Rosée, published shortly after his death, Roumain’s importance extends beyond literature and carries into politics. His political engagement notably as the co-founder of the Parti communiste haïtien or PCH ..read more

haitianhistory: Today in Haitian History - August 12, 1915 – Sudre Dartiguenave elected president of Haiti  Born in Anse-à-Veau, Haiti in 1863, Philippe Sudre Dartiguenave was trained and worked as a lawyer before entering the Haitian Senate in 1910. He was already a political figure of some importance when the United States Marine Occupation of Haiti (1915-1934) began on July 28, 1915. As the need to pick a new president following Guillaume Sam assassination became imminent, U.S. authorities favoured Sudre Dartiguenave’s appointment in August 1915 in opposition the nomination of the ch ..read more