Haiti

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Haiti was once the first black independent republic in the world and the richest island in the Caribbean. Today Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest countries in the world. What could have happened to Haiti in almost two hundred years of history? The country experienced repeated civil war and foreign intervention. Haiti is not isolated from the international world. Thus, it was not out of concern for ordinary Haitians that the United States intervened in Haiti. It was out of concern for profit and stability within the United States' own backyard. The purpose of this paper is to show the negative aspect that the United States had played in the government of Haiti.

The situation in Haiti was and always has been volatile. Ever since the Haitian slaves revolted in 1804, Haiti has become full of crises and revolutions of various sorts. The invasion and following occupation were sparked by the fall of the Haitian President General Vilbrun Guillaume Sam in July of 1915. General Sam was well aware of the discontent with him from the masses, and in response gave a sick display of power, ordering the execution of 173 political prisoners. At the beginning of the 20th century, many Caribbean and Central American countries were heavily in debt to European countries. Since Haiti was in high debt, and violence had erupted from the Haitian population, the United States declared that it was evident that the Haitians were not to fit to rule themselves. The United States occupied Haiti in 1915 until 1934. (Farmer: 93)

The United States granted itself complete political and administrative control over Haiti. Even though the United States' plan was interested in investing in Haiti, it did not mean tha...

... middle of paper ...

... well. Not only do other countries hold Haiti back, but they've also made the situation worse.

Works Cited

Anderson, Fred. "The United States and the Haitian nightmare," www.collegian.psu.edu.archive. 4/31/01

Farmer, Paul. " The Uses of Haiti," Copyright Library of Congress 1994.

Heinl, Michael. "The story of the Haitian people, 1492-1995," Copyright 1996 by University Press of America, Inc.

Maclean, Frances."They didn't speak our language; we didn't speak theirs" www.web6.infotrac.galegroup.com, Smithsonian, Jan 1993 v23 n10 p44.

McGee, Arthur "Mutinational Monitor: Article on Haiti." www.stile.lboro.ac.uk. March 31,2001.

Trouillot, Michel-Rolph. "Haiti state against nation the origins & legacy of Duvalierism" Copyright by Library of Congress 1990

"Confronting the crisis in Haiti" Center for Defense Information (Washington, DC Videorecording.)

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