Haiti - The Land of Chaos and destruction

The beginning of the History of Haiti was recorded when the European navigator Christopher Columbus reached a large island in the West Atlantic Ocean that became known as the Caribbean Sea. Prior to the Columbus arrival in 1492 the area was inhabited by Arawaks and Taino people who named it Haiti ('land of the Mountains').

By the 17th century it became a French and English buccaneer base. Frenc h colonies that imported African slaves developed sugar plantations. In 1697 Spain eventually ceded Saint Dominque, now called Haiti ,to France. Haiti became a prosperous colony and the chief sugar and coffee producers of the world. The French settled south in the 18th Century and the region was composed of French, Creoles, black slaves and freed blacks. The mulattoes between all these nations were indeterminate. Mulatto representation was prevented in the national assembly of the French and local Saint Dominique assemblies. Under the leadership Of Vincent Oge the mulattoes revolted and the rebellion then destroyed the rigid Haitian societal structure. Guerrilla forces led by Toussain L Ouverture who was a former slave was formed.

During the Napoleonic Wars in 1793 the English invaded Haiti. Touissant has an alliance with Andre Rigaud (mulatto forces). Spain ceded its part of the island to France and Troussain conquered and abolished slavery in 1801. Napoleon sent a force to attempt a restoration in 1802 after Troussaint proclaimed himself as governor General over Hispaniola . Trouisaint died in a French prison after he was captured through trickery, but revolt continued despite this and forced French troops to withdraw. They received aid that was unexpected from Thomas Jefferson (the US president), as he feared that Saint Dominque would be used as a base for the invasion of Louisiana. Haiti eventually became the second Western Hemisphere nation to gain complete independence

After reaching independence Jean 'Jacques Dessalines who was an ex- slave proclaimed himself as emperor if Haiti. However after his assassination in 1806, there was a division of the north being controlled by blacks under Emperor Henri Christophe and the south that was Mulatto ruled under Alexandre Petion. Jean Pierre Boyce unified Haiti and Santo Domingo was also brought into Haitian control. But in a mission to indemnify the French Planters, he brought financial ruin in Haiti. And the mulatto- black conflict and hostility intensified social and political conflict. The violent independent struggle ceased to recover and further declined. The United States feared over its investments in Haiti when Guillermo Sam the dictator was killed and they also feared German seizure over Haiti. They took this opportunity towards invasion of Port 'au-Prince.

An agreement was reached when the Haitian congress eventually forcefully submitted toward agreement acceptance and they permitted U.S. control over receipts and customs; the congress was dissolved and a new a new constitution was dictated by the American naval commander. Progress of general and financial material reached advancement under the military American occupation but eventually Haiti did protest against US sovereignty violation of Haiti. By 1930 a commission of the U.S. president recommended Haiti to be allowed legislature election. St‚nio Vincent, a US opponent was elected and thereafter there was a marine withdrawal in 1934. Political instability continued in Haiti through Dominican Republic turbulence as well as the emergent communist Cuba.

On natural disasters listing there are such as heavy rains killed 1700 near Dominican Republic as well as tropical storm Jeane in September 2004 that caused further flooding where bout 2500 died. In August 2008 the storms Hanna, Fay and Gustav leave thousand homeless. In September 2008 a hurricane leaves destruction of roads, power lines and homes and in January 2010 on January the 12tjh a 7.0 magnitude of earthquake devastates Haiti.