history of Haiti

Haiti is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea; Hispaniola has two countries. Haiti makes up western 1/3 of the island while the Dominican Republic makes up the eastern 2/3 of the island. The two countries are not on very friendly terms and never have been since their roots are very different. Haiti is primarily populated by African-Caribbean people with a history of French colonialism. On the other hand, the Dominican Republic is made up of Afro-European mixed blooded people and their roots are very deeply affected by Spanish colonialism.

The two countries, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, have a long history of mistrust, even hatred. Haiti has twice occupied The Dominican Republic in the 19th century. In 1937, The Dominican Republic perpetrated a terrible massacre on Haitians living in or near The Dominican Republic's borders.

From 1957 to 1986, Haiti was ruled by the Duvalier family in persons of Francois Duvalier and his son. This was a period of brutal dictatorship, the suppression of most normal freedoms in Haiti, particularly political dissent from the "Duvalier revolution." It was also a period of a rather stable law and order society that one tends to get with dictatorship.
In 1986, there was an uprising of the people of Haiti and president Jean-Claude Duvalier. At this time, Haiti entered into a very difficult period which is still going on currently, It is a period of struggle for control of the country, and what has resulted is a great deal of political and social instability. There are a number of factions including old-line Duvalierists trying to keep change from coming to Haiti, and Newline populists like Jean-Bertrand Aristide and current president. Today Haiti is a nation in disorder and disarray, unsafe, economically desperate without much clear hope of significant improvement in the future. The majority of Haiti's people live in desperate poverty and personal unsafety. They are suffering from hunger, unemployment. The international community, like the US, which has great power in Haiti, seems without serious interest in the plight of the masses of the Haitian poor.

A chronology of key events:

1492 - Christopher Columbus lands and names the island Hispaniola, or Little Spain.

1689- Spanish vs French

1791-1803 - A slave rebellion is launched by the Jamaican-born Boukman leading to a protracted 13-year war of liberation against St. Domingue's.

1804 - Haiti becomes independent; former slave Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares himself emperor.

1806 - Dessalines assassinated and Haiti divided into a black-controlled north and a mulatto-ruled south

1818-43 - Pierre Boyer unifies Haiti, but excludes blacks from power.

1915 - US invades Haiti following black-mulatto friction,

1934 - US withdraws troops from Haiti, but maintains fiscal control until 1947.

Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier

"Baby Doc" Duvalier retained his father's brutal methods

Born in 1951

1957 to 1986, Haiti was ruled by the Duvalier family in persons of Francois Duvalier and his son. This was a period of brutal dictatorship, the suppression of most normal freedoms in Haiti, particularly political dissent from the "Duvalier revolution." It was also a period of a rather stable law and order society that one tends to get with dictatorship.

1964 - Duvalier declares himself president-for-life and establishes a dictatorship with the help of the Tontons Macoutes militia.

1971 - Duvalier dies and is succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude, or "Baby Doc", who also declares himself president-for-life.

1986 - Baby Doc flees Haiti in the wake of mounting popular discontent and is replaced by Lieutenant-General Henri Namphy as head of a governing council.

1988 - Leslie Manigat becomes president, but is ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Prosper Avril, who installs a civilian government under military control.

Democracy,

1990 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected president in Haiti's first free and peaceful polls.

1991 - Aristide ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Raoul Cedras, triggering sanctions by the US and the Organisation of American States.

1994 - Military regime relinquishes power in the face of an imminent US invasion; US forces oversee a transition to a civilian government; Aristide returns.

Former president Aristide lives in exile

Profile: Jean-Bertrand Aristide

1995 - UN peacekeepers begin to replace US troops; Aristide supporters win parliamentary elections

Rene Preval, from Aristide's Lavalas party, is elected in December to replace Aristide as president.

1997-99 - Serious political deadlock; new government named.

2000 November - Aristide elected president for a second non-consecutive term, amid allegations of irregularities.

2002 July - Haiti is approved as a full member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) trade bloc.

2003 April - Voodoo recognised as a religion, on a par with other faiths.

Sri Lankan UN soldier patrols street in Port-au-Prince

UN force was sent to help stabilise Haiti

UN authorised despatch of 6,700 soldiers, 1,600 police

Mandate set to expire in October 2008, "with the intention of further renewal"

Peacekeepers led by Brazil

2004 January-February - Celebrations marking 200 years of independence turn into uprising against President Aristide, who is forced into exile. An interim government takes over.

2004 May - Severe floods in south, and in parts of neighbouring Dominican Republic, leave more than 2,000 dead or disappeared.

2004 September - Nearly 3,000 killed in flooding in the north, in the wake of tropical storm Jeanne.

late 2004 - Rising levels of deadly political and gang violence in the capital; armed gangs loyal to former President Aristide are said to be responsible for many killings.

2005 April - Prominent rebel leader Ravix Remissainthe is killed by police in the capital.

2005 July - Hurricane Dennis kills at least 45 people.

Preval wins elections

Haitian voters try to enter polling station, February 2006

February 2006: Voters swamped polling stations