HISTORY. The island of Haiti was discovered by Columbus in 1492. In 1496 Bartholomew Columbus founded Santo Domingo, the first Euro pean town in the New World. The natives, who were very numerous, were quickly exterminated by their relentless taskmasters, and negroes were imported from Africa to take their place as laborers. The blacks soon came to form the vast majority of the population. After the coloniza tion of the mainland Haiti was neglected, and in the seventeenth century a colony of buccaneers were allowed to make their headquarters at the western end of the island. They were French men, and as a result of this occupation that part of the island was ceded to France by the Treaty of Ryswick (1697). A prosperous and wealthy French colony grew up, but the large negro population, and especially the turbulent and discontented class of free mulattoes, were a constant source of disquietude to the planters. who would not allow civil rights to any portion of the colored population. During the French Revolution, at a time when there were dissen sions among the white population, the negroes and mulattoes, encouraged by the reception ac corded to their appeals by the people of France, rose against their oppressors. The insurrection, which broke out in 1791, was marked by the most bloody excesses. In 1793 the commissioners of the French Convention proclaimed the freedom of the blacks. At this time invasions by the British took place. The blacks were rallied, organized, and led to victory by Toussaint L'Ou verture (q.v.), who was recognized by them as generalissimo of their forces in the island, and who expelled the British in 1798. Three years previously Spain had ceded the 'eastern part of the island to France, and this was now included by Toussaint, who now reigned as dictator in practical independence, within his sphere of au thority. In 1801 Napoleon Bonaparte sent a force under General Leclerc to subdue the island. Toussaint was captured and deported to France, where he died in prison (1803). His place was filled by other leaders, and the French were final ly expelled in December, 1803. The victorious general, Dessalincs (q.v.), declared Haiti inde pendent, and assumed the title of Emperor (1804). He was assassinated in 1806. Then for some years the northern part of Haiti was held by Christophe (q.v.), a negro, who in 1811 assumed the royal title, while PC.tion (q.v.) es tablished a mulatto republic to the south. Upon the death of Christophe in 1820, the power was seized by Boyer, the successor of PAtion,who then proceeded to the conquest of the eastern part of the island,which had been reoccupied by Spain, but had revolted, and formed a republic. The
whole island was ruled with wisdom and firm ness by Royer (q.v.) as President until his over throw in 1843. France recognized the independ ence of Haiti in 1825. In 1844 the eastern part set up for itself as the Republic of Santo Do mingo. In the west—the Republic of Haiti—a series of struggles between the blacks and mulat toes for political ascendency lasted for many years. In 1849 the negro President Soulouque proclaimed himself Emperor as Faustin I., and for ten years ruled in a despotic manner, at tempting more than once to annex the Republic of Santo Domingo to his dominions. The Re public was restored at the beginning of 1859 by the mulatto Geffrard, who held power till 1867. In 1888-89 civil war raged between the generals LOgitime and Hippolite, who were rival candi dates, for the Presidency. The latter was vic torious, and ruled with unlimited authority till his death in 1896. He was succeeded by General Simon Sam, who was President until May, 1902, when he was forced to resign. Civil war ensued between Boisrond-Canal, head of the Provisional Government, and M. Firmin, Haitian Ambassa dor at Paris, who established a rival government at Gonaives, in the northern part of the island. In October, 1902, Firmin was overthrown, and in December General Nord was proclaimed Presi dent by the army..
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Fortunat, Nouvelle geographic Bibliography. Fortunat, Nouvelle geographic de l'ile de Haiti (Port-au-Prince, 1888) ; Saint John, Haiti, or the Black Republic (2d ed., Lon don, 1889) ; Rouiier, Dictionnaire geographique et administratif universel d'Haiti ( Prince, 1892) ; Marcelin, etudes econo miques, sociales et politiques (2 vols., Paris, 1893) ; id., Haiti, ses querres civiles, tears causes (Paris, 1893) ; Justin, Etude sur les institutions haitiennes (Paris, 1894) ; Vibert, La republique d'Haiti (Paris, 1895) ; Pritchard, Where Black Rules White (New York, 1900) ; Keller, Erin nerungen aus Haiti (Aaran, 1900) ; Tippen hauer, Die Inset Haiti (Leipzig, 1893) ; Edwards, Historical Survey of the Island of Santo Do mingo (London, 1801) ' • Burney, Buccaneers of Am erica (London, 1816) ; Madiou, PI ist °ire d'Haiti (3 vols., Port-au-Prince, 1847) ; Lin stant Pradine, Recueil general des lois et actes du gouvernement d'Haiti (5 vols., Paris, ; Ardouin, Etudes sur l'histoire de Haiti (10 vols., Paris, 1853-61) ; Handelmann, Geschichte von Haiti (Kiel, 1856).
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