Lemme tell y’all a few things about Haiti - and why we owe them. A thread.
1. The American Revolution was funded by Haitian money. France gave the American colonies $9Billion to aide the Revolution. France had that money because Haiti was the richest colony in the entire world — richer than the Spanish empire.
France also used Haiti as a transient point to send troops and other aide to the American colonies to fight the American Revolution. Enslaved Haitians also made the gunpowder that was used in many of the battles.
3. The reason the Louisiana purchase happened was because France lost Haiti in the Haitian Revolution. The country suffered so much financially from this loss, Napoleon sold their North American colonies to the United States. That’s this entire area. 
4. During the American Civil War, Haiti offered citizenship, land, and free passage to any Black American who could make it to the port in New Orleans.
This was no small thing. Most recently liberated AAs were starving in refugee areas called “contraband camps” during the war.
This was no small thing. Most recently liberated AAs were starving in refugee areas called “contraband camps” during the war.
How did Haiti go from the richest colony in the world to today’s poverty?
5. After enslaved Haitians self-liberated via the Revolution, France forced them to pay reparations. That’s right, former slaves had to pay the country that had enslaved them. $21 Billion in today’s money.
5. After enslaved Haitians self-liberated via the Revolution, France forced them to pay reparations. That’s right, former slaves had to pay the country that had enslaved them. $21 Billion in today’s money.
Of course they had no money. They were slaves and just fought a 20-yr war. So they had to take out loans from American, German, and French banks. Then they owed the banks, plus interest, putting them in a spiral of debt.
Haiti didn’t finish paying France reparations until 1947.
Haiti didn’t finish paying France reparations until 1947.
6. Because of our proximity to the island, the US was contracted by France to enforce Haiti’s reparation payment via our military, and collect the debt. The US government accrued millions of dollars in fees to do so. A secondary benefit to the loans Haiti took out from our banks.
7. The US took control of Haiti’s gold reserve, custom houses, administrative institutions, banks, and national treasury. For 20 years (till 1947), the US took 40% of Haiti’s national income to pay the debt to US and French banks. Debt from SLAVES paying reparations to FRANCE.
8. All of the wealth Haiti gave to the Western world was bc of their sugar plantations. The French deforested the island for this. By the time they left in 1804, the soil was depleted and there was major erosion. THIS IS WHY Haiti is more susceptible to hurricanes and flooding.
9. All of this - the insane debt, military enforced reparations payment to former colonial power, siphoning off 40% of national income, land destruction - impoverished their economy and they could not build infrastructure. This left them vulnerable to corrupt political powers.
I can not emphasize enough that the deforestation in Haiti by French colonizers destroyed the soil, and the lack of tree coverage created massive erosion. This made Europe and the US rich, while causing Haiti to suffer from natural disasters more extremely than it’s neighbors.
Look, European powers were so afraid that the Haitian Revolution would inspire other Black people to kill their masters, they wanted to make sure the new nation failed. They gutted them. Which wasn’t difficult to do to a fledgling nation of former slaves after many years of war.
Haiti is a clear example of how colonialism/imperialism doesn’t end with national independence. It’s made to create ongoing economic subordination to European powers. It’s a cycle of exploitation, victim-blaming, then gaslighting the world to believe white supremacy is natural.
The US should be embracing Haitian refugees with open arms. It’s the very least we can do. We should be paying reparations to the country, investing in reforestation and other defenses to natural disaster.
The only way forward for us all is justice and atonement.
The only way forward for us all is justice and atonement.
*correction The occupation was from 1915-1934. US military moved in after several assassinations of Haitian presidents. The US govt was increasingly afraid of German control and influence there. They also forced the election of pro-American President, Philippe Sudré Dartiguenave.
President Dartiguenave created a new constitution that allowed foreign land ownership, which had been made illegal (for obvious reasons) since Haitian Revolution. Policies under US occupation also included racial segregation, press censorship and forced labor. It led to uprising.
A correction to this thread: The 20-year US military occupation of Haiti was was 1915-1930. It included manipulating the 1915 election and installing a pro-American President.
https://twitter.com/aziedee/status/1441082097930682380
The occupation also instituted racial segregation and forced labor.
https://twitter.com/aziedee/status/1441083072535883789
Joe Biden, 1994.
https://twitter.com/87_xray/status/1441076981983064064
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