By Laura Polynice (Nott)
Haiti fades in and out of the US news and media. We hear reports of earthquakes, hurricanes, protests, unrest, and kidnappings. Then the story gets old, and news outlets move on. Sadly, the people of Haiti don’t have that option.
Haiti won its independence from France in 1804 after slaves revolted against their masters and took their freedom by force through a 13-year revolution.Haiti became the first black nation and the only nation to be founded by former slaves. The world at that time, however, wasn’t ready for a nation of former slaves, and France returned in 1825 with war ships and forced Haiti to agree to buy the freedom that they had already earned with their blood. The world allowed this to happen.
The payments on this Independence Debt were far greater than Haiti could afford, and so the nation was forced to take out loans from French banks creating what is sometimes referred to as the Double Debt. Estimates say that Haiti, over the years, paid France more than $21 billion in today’s dollar. This meant that all of those funds were not being poured into building and developing their country. Economists have estimated that if this money had been invested into the country and Haiti’s economy had developed at the same rate as other nations in the area, this amount would have equaled $115 billion today. How was a state founded by slaves meant to progress into the next era when they were paying back debiliating debts?
The young nation founded by slaves brought from various parts of Africa also soon fell into civil war as various leaders vied for power. More than two centuries after winning its independence, the effects of debt and disunion are still hugely evident. The infrastructure and education system were never developed and are still major hurdles for the nation as a whole and for each citizen.
There is no telling what Haiti would look like today if it hadn’t been saddled with the Independence Debt and Double Debt and if, instead, the leaders had invested in the development of the country. If you look at Haiti’s neighbor, the Dominican Republic, however, you will see a country with modern healthcare, schools, and education; with access to power and clean water; and with roads and infrastructure throughout the country. Today, most Haitians do not have access to power, running water, or even clean drinking water in their area. Hospitals struggle to provide quality care as they face power outages and lack of medication and resources. The majority of school classrooms are children crammed on wooden benches in a stuffy, window-lit room with a chalkboard and a teacher with limited training and few resources or materials beyond the students’ workbooks.
It’s true that Haiti has had a long history with corruption, mismanagement of resources, and disunion, but we cannot ignore the huge impact that the Independence Debt has had on the nation.
While we can recognize the past and acknowledge the fact that every nation abandoned the young nation of Haiti and allowed it to be abused, we cannot change the past. In the next part of this series, we will look at what is happening in Haiti today.
What can you do today?
Consider how this history that we briefly touched on has affected the country of Haiti. Does hearing this history reshape the way you look at Haiti?
Learn more: This short podcast by the New York Times gives more insight into the Independence Debt and some of the effects it has had on Haiti.
Support organizations that are working to provide water, healthcare, education and other basic essentials to communities in Haiti. PLH works in some of these areas, but there are many organizations doing great work in these areas.