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Haiti has a long history going back to 1492 and Columbus's discovery of the New World. What follows is a brief history of Haiti and it's people.
 | 1492: Discovered by Columbus, Haiti became first a Spanish, and later French colony. Slaves were brought from Africa to work the sugarcane fields, on this lush and productive island, the western half of Hispaniola. 1804: After many years of strife, slaves overthrew their oppressors and Haiti became the first ever independent black republic. The country’s economy, however, which was built on the slave plantations, was destroyed. 1915-1934: Haiti eventually had to declare bankruptcy. Occupation by U.S. Marines brought stability. Haiti’s high population growth made it the most densely populated nation in the Western Hemisphere. 1957: Dictator Francois Duvalier erased all democratic gains with his brutal secret police, the “Tontons Macoutes.” | | 1971: “Papa Doc,” as he was called, was succeeded by his son, Jean Claude, or, “Baby Doc.” By this time Haiti was the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, due to corruption and lack of economic structure. 1980: Haiti became one of the first countries to face an AIDS epidemic. Fear of the disease caused tourists to stay away, and the tourist industry collapsed, causing rising unemployment. 1991: Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a socialist Roman Catholic priest was elected president. Nine months later the military, left over from the Duvalier era, took control of the government. The coup was put down by UN forces, led by the U.S. marines, and Aristide was restored to power, succeeded by his ally Rene Preval in 1996. |  |  | 2000: UN forces left the country, and Aristide was reelected in elections that were not recognized by the international community to be fair. The U.S. and other countries threatened Haiti with sanctions unless democratic procedures were strengthened.
Poor Haitians looked to Aristide to reform the government and provide relief from poverty and suffering. By this time Haiti had the highest rates of AIDS, malnutrition, and infant mortality in the region. However Aristide was not able to overcome economic obstacles and without an army, the government had no backbone. He resorted to making deals with international drug traders, and local gang leaders. | | 2004: The country’s bi-centennial, protesters were demanding Aristide’s resignation. Violence rocked the country, and a month later a full-blown armed revolt was under way. The protests, groups of armed rebels, and French and American pressure led to the ousting of Aristide on Feb. 29. Thereafter a U.S.-led international force of 2,300 entered the chaos-engulfed country to attempt to restore order, and an interim government took over. In September, Hurricane Jeanne ravaged Haiti, killing more than 2,400 people. Lawlessness and gang violence were widespread, and the interim government had no control over parts of the country, which were run by armed former soldiers. |  |  | 2006: After numerous delays, Haiti held elections in the month of February. The elections, backed by 9,000 United Nations troops, were seen as a crucial step in returning Haiti to some semblance of stability. Former prime minister and Aristide protegé, René Préval, emerged as the country’s new leader. Since that time, Preval’s government has begun to make improvements in the corruption-riddled police and judicial system, with the help of United Nations Security forces. As well the government has taken action against the many gang leaders who ruled the slums and terrified the population with frequent kidnappings. 2008: Of late Haiti has been in the news again. Riots and demonstrations due to anxiety over rising food costs, have started up in Port-au-Prince. The price of rice and pasta has double over recent months. There have been stories in the news of Haitians eating sand cakes, made from clay, salt and water, to stave off hunger. Most Haitians live on one or two meals a day, consisting of rice and a bean or vegetable sauce. | | | | |
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