...Scholars of the Haitian Revolution have also considered the role that African ideas may have played in the Haitian Revolution. In ““I Am The Subject of the King of Congo”: African Political Ideology and the Haitian Revolution”, John Thornton contends for the role of Congolese political history and thinking in influencing the Haitian Revolution. At the time of the Haitian revolution the majority slaves in Haiti were of Congolese origin or descent. Thornton contends against earlier interpretations which interpreted the slaves’ African political heritage as encouraging a support for absolute monarchy and slavery. He analyzes the political practices of Congolese Kingship and the dynamics of the civil wars which had taken place in the 18th century,...
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...dictators instated by the American government and eventually deadly natural disasters like the 2010 7.0 earthquake. All these things have left Haiti vulnerable for powers other than the Haitian government to make decisions for the Haitian people, and out of desperate measures Haiti is constantly forced to succumb to foreign powers. In particular, the recovery from the Haitian earthquake being delayed even to this day because of countries coming into Haiti attempting to aid Haiti but in reality they are just prolonging the inevitable issues that need to be addressed. Haiti needs to create more laws and enforce the laws, so that things like the poor structural engineering in...
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...The Haitian Diaspora in the Bahamas By Ria N.M. Treco Florida International University Department of International Relations April 17, 2002 Introduction Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with about 80% of the Haitian population living in abject poverty [1]. Many factors contribute to the economic status of this country including: lack of proper education, overpopulation, environmental problems, and subsequent lack of jobs. All of these factors must be pointed out in order for one to fully understand the reasons for the mass migration that is taking place from Haiti into other countries of the world and more specifically into the Bahamas. Haiti has one of the lowest adult literacy rates in the world with only 48.8% of the total population above age 15 being able to read and write simple sentences. According to the Human Development Report, Haiti ranks 134 out of 162 countries for the adult literacy rate. Furthermore, Oxfam International ranks only four countries in the world lower than Haiti for the availability of basic education for its people. There is inadequate healthcare in Haiti as well. In 1999, the US Agency for International Development in Haiti implemented new programs to make Haitians aware of family planning, however, only half the population of Haiti has access to these facilities. This is closely related to the problem of overpopulation in Haiti. Haiti is one of the most densely populated countries of the Western Hemisphere with upwards of...
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...Caribbean nation of Haiti. Highlighted are the pretenses under which America began their involvement and the subsequent results of the invasion. The economic, political and social effects that the US had on the Haitian community had it’s successes in areas such as the rebuilind of the infrastructure, but were significantly countered with blatant violations in human rights laws and corruption within the government. These areas of failure reject the fundamental basis of what a successful counterinsurgency entails. Although there is much evidence of successes and failures in Haiti, to conclude, a realist argument will be presented in order to provide some answers as to why decisions were made to occupy Haiti under a COIN objective, but withdraw without meeting those objectives. Keywords: cacos, violence, attitudes, counterinsurgency “For our forebears, for our country, Oh God of the valiant! Take our rights and our life under your infinite protection, Oh God of the valiant! For our forebears, for our country.” –Haitian National Anthem Haiti, which is officially the Republic of Haiti, is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. The country's capital is Port-au-Prince. Haitian Creole and French are the official languages. Haiti's regional, historical, and ethno-linguistic position is unique for several reasons. It was the first...
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...(Richard, 1991). Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, and has been facing economic challenges as well as ecological obstacles for development. Over the years, the country’s economy has been deteriorating. Frequent ocurrence of natural calamities like floods and earthquake have made the Haiti’s economy sink deeper. According to the World Bank, in 1988, it was the only country in the Americas that had US$425. In the 1980s, the Haitian economy started to be dependent on agriculture, although, depending on agriculture alone could not sustain the country’s economy bearing that the labor cost have risen compared to the decrease in exports. Agricultural expansion in the country contributed to the deforestations which on the other hand caused soil erosions hence reduced production. There were other several avenues that contributed to the Haiti’s economy that included manufacturing, tourism and transportation. Haiti was considered to be one of the most favored manufacturing places due to low-cost labor. Due to political upheaval and poor coverage, tourism suffered a great deal because Haiti was regarded as the source of Acquired Immune Deficiency...
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...Trouillot’s An Unthinkable History, presents the argument that Haitian revolution becomes a non-event in all aspects of history because it was never perceived as ‘thinkable’ event, therefore, dismissing the movement at its origin. The Haitian Revolution as a non-event was further cemented by the Western ontological framework that prevented even conceiving a rebellion led by black slaves, but also by the explicit dismissal of the Haitian Revolution by the academia itself. Thus, the ‘cancellation’ of the Haitian revolution only creates further implications for the study of social movements. The Haitian Revolution is a monumental anti-slavery, social movement led by both free and enslaved blacks, that successfully challenged and overcame the...
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...The significance of the Haitian Revolution for the practice of contemporary theory. 1. Introduction Philosopher Peter Hallward claims, “If the French Revolution stands as the great political event of modern times the Haitian Revolution must figure at the most decisive sequence of that event” (Hallward, 2004:2). From a historical perspective, it is important that one recognises the significance of this event. The Haitian Revolution was a struggle for self-determination against colonial imperialism and slavery but it was also so much more than that as it was a struggle for the liberation of the African mind too. The Haitian Revolution influenced thinkers such as Peter Hallward and Alain Badiou, C.L.R. James as well as pan-Africanist thinkers such as Marcus Garvey and later Franz Fanon himself. In this paper I will analyse the Haitian Revolution not in a historical context per se but rather by examining its significance on the practice of contemporary theory. My argument in this paper is that the Haitian Revolution as an empirical event challenged many assumed theoretical universalities and in so doing has made contemporary theory ever more useful in terms of making sense of the world and uncovering hidden truths. For the purpose of this paper, theory as a concept as well as the practice of theory as process needs to be discussed in detail. Theory as a concept can best be understood as a system of ideas that are meant to explain a facet of existence. Thory can be very bold...
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...from 1791-1804 was the largest insurrection of slaves in history. The Haitian Revolution resulted in the creation of the first successful independent freed slave state in the world, a fact that rocked the socio-political, economic, and moral foundations of the Caribbean.[1] However, in the period following the Revolution, there is a noted increase of slavery in the Caribbean as a whole. Did the success of the Haitian uprising merely serve as a lesson for Caribbean planters and reinforce the slave society? To answer this question one must examine the factors that led to the Revolution’s success both externally, in the European metropoles, and internally, in the psychological and socio-political dynamics of Caribbean societies. Therefore, the Haitian Revolution appeared to impede abolition in the Caribbean in the short term because it reinforced white stereotypes of African savagery and inferiority, convinced planters of the danger of liberal and abolitionist ideals, and created a large void in the coffee and sugar markets which other colonies quickly filled by introducing more slave labor. While these effects should not be minimized, they were merely the logical aftershock of the tumultuous events in the established racial hierarchy. Ultimately, the Haitian Revolution was a major turning point in abolitionist history because it restructured the balance of power in the Caribbean thereby allowing a political gap for British abolitionists, the first organized anti-slavery movement...
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...principles of all diverse ethnicities. I had very little interaction with the Haitian culture until I started working at a very culturally diverse facility. While completing my nightshift rotation, I had the pleasure of befriending someone from Haiti. After many years of friendship, I still feel that I know very little about her heritage. This diversity course gave me the perfect opportunity to interview and conduct research on the Haitian culture. Exploring this culture was a true revelation...
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...Assignment 03: Peer Review Title Introduction Ever since Haiti was founded by European colonists and established as a colony, Haiti’s ability to thrive as an independent state was hindered. As discussed by Patrick Bellegarde-Smith, the corruption within Haiti began with European French colonialists. Haiti’s global dysfunction has not only compromised its structural integrity as a land mass, it has also weakened Haiti as a society through poverty, deforestation and political dysfunction. Haitian Slave Revolt During the revolutionary period from 1789 – 1804, the slaves of Haiti revolted against the French colonies, which was later known as the Haitian Revolution. This revolt was the first ever successful slave revolt and had a powerful effect...
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...Haiti, just like any country in the world has its vast history that influences what it is today. Haiti is unique because of its regional, historical, and ethnicities. Haiti has its many firsts compared to many nations: it is the first country in the Caribbean that got its independence, the first post-colonial nation that is predominantly black, and the first one that got its independence through slave rebellion which was successfully staged. Moreover, Haiti is the only country in the Caribbean who uses French as its official language. However, with this historic “firsts”, Haiti remains to be a nation where development seems to be too elusive. The purpose of this brief paper is to for me to assist in providing you a bird’s eye view of the entirety of Haiti as a nation from its discovery until today. In December 5, 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Hispaniola which we now know as Haiti. The Spaniards gave a third part of Hispaniola to France in 1697 and the latter called it Saint Domingue which later became known to be the richest colony in the world. However, it is the most cruel where half a million slaves were starved, beaten, and buried alive for petty offenses. Because of this cruelty, a black rebellion ensued in 1791 which triggered the civil war. Five years later, the chaos ended through the efforts of Toussaint L’Ouverture, a doctor and military man. However, in 1802, slavery was again introduced through the Convention of Paris, triggering more revolts...
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...The Haitian Revolution and the Revolution of 1848 The Haitian Revolution and the Revolution of 1848 involve two distinct regions of the world. Despite the overlap of colonization linking the regions together, they hold different motivations for starting the revolution. The major similarities can be found in the economic setting of the locations. There are also some similarities in what happens after the revolutionary dust settles. The Haitian Revolution is arguably more influential due to the reinforcement of human rights and the establishment of the black run government. There is no doubt that the Haitian Revolution set an example for universal rights established during the Enlightenment. The setting of both revolutions occurs in a highly agricultural society. In Haiti, slave labor was churning out sugar and coffee...
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...Prompt 1: Political System Edwidge Danticat, the author of Krik?Krak!, was born in Haiti in 1969, and Haiti’s political climate during that time period was extremely unstable because of its oppressive dictators. Around the 1960s, Dr.Francois Duvalier, also known as “Papa Doc”, established a dictatorship and transformed Haiti’s institutions in order to support his personal interests. Papa Doc was a totalitarian dictator, and he imposed a “reign of terror” by torturing his opponents, and killing approximately 30,000 people for political reasons. His son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, also known as “Baby Doc”, succeeded him as dictator in 1971. There was a plethora of injustice and a myriad of people got mistreated, which most likely resulted from Haiti’s oppressive, vicious, and corrupt political climate. I strongly feel that Haitian politics negatively...
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...Analysis of Development in the Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic has experienced a tumultuous history, which has caused the country to develop into a constant state of crisis. The situation in the Dominican Republic is bleak socially and economically. There is widespread and extreme poverty and violence, as well as an overall lack of available education and medical care. Luis Barrios and David Brotherton, authors of “Dominican Republic” (2004), asserted “the current state of affairs is partly the legacy of decades of corrupt authoritarian rule, and partly due to the political betrayal and moral bankruptcy of the country’s elites who failed to bring to fruition the promises of democracy.” The disparities in income and education between the richest and the poorest in this country are extreme, and there has been little true economic development in decades. The economic and social development of the Dominican Republic is continuously being hindered by the widespread corruption of the elites and the politicians. The Dominican Republic has a long history of corruption and poverty. In 1930, a military coup put Rafael Trujillo in power. Trujillo ruled the Dominican Republic for over 30 years as an absolute dictatorship (Barrios & Brotherton 2004). Trujillo followed an uneven mix of repression and ruthlessness along with modernization (Barrios & Brotherton 2004). Many people suffered under his dictatorship. Trujillo was always on the look out for disloyalty and potential...
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...And Culture - You can find it on Yahoo! Learn about Food And Culture - Yahoo.com Business Without Borders - Your Online Source For Global Business Analysis And Insights. - businesswithoutborders.com Culture Name Haitian Orientation Ads by Google JCPenney® Official Site Shop Our Great Brands at JCPenney. Welcome to the New JCPenney. JCPenney.com/OfficialSite Cultural Traditions Find great deals and save! Compare products, prices & stores www.Shopping.com free people clothing Top Free Clothes Coupons Savings from Free Clothes! www.ShopAtHome.com/FreeClothes Fashion Accessories Hosiery,Footwear,Rainwear,Apparel, Home,Novelty,Jewelry on sale now! www.eretailmall.com Identification. Haiti, a name that means "mountainous country," is derived from the language of the Taino Indians who inhabited the island before European colonization. After independence in 1804, the name was adopted by the military generals, many of them former slaves, who expelled the French and took possession of the colony then known as Saint Domingue. In 2000, 95 percent of the population was of African descent, and the remaining 5 percent mulatto and white. Some wealthy citizens think of themselves as French, but most residents identify themselves as Haitian and there is a strong sense of nationalism. Location and Geography. Haiti covers 10,714 square miles (27,750 square kilometers). It is located in the subtropics on the western third of Hispaniola, the second largest island...
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