A Brief History of Haiti

A Chronology of Key Events:

1492 – Christopher Columbus lands and names the island Hispaniola.

1496 – Spanish establish first European settlement in western hemisphere in Santo Domingo, now capital of Dominican Republic.

1697 – Spain cedes western part of Hispaniola to France, St Domingue and retains east, Santo Domingo. The island is prized by European colonists as it rich is in natural resources, including cocoa, cotton and sugar cane. Thousands of slaves are brought in mainly from West Africa to harvest crops.

1801 – A former black slave, General Toussaint Louverture, leads a slave rebellion, liberates the island, abolishes slavery and proclaims himself governor-general of an autonomous government over all Hispaniola.

1802 – French forces led by Napoleon’s brother-in-law, Charles Leclerc, fail to re-conquer the island of Hispaniola. General Louverture is betrayed by the French and subsequently exiled to France where he dies.

Independence

1804 – Hispaniola is declared an independent republic, the second in the western hemisphere. It is renamed Haiti, land of the mountains. Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares himself emperor.

1806 – Dessalines is assassinated and Haiti is divided into a black-controlled north, with Henri Christophe and a mulatto-ruled south, with Alexandre Petion.

1818-43 – Pierre Boyer takes control and unifies Haiti.

1915 – US Marines occupy Haiti.

1934 – US withdraws troops from Haiti, but maintains fiscal control until 1947.

1937– Thousands of Haitians massacred within Dominican Republic and along the border under President General Trujillo.

François Duvalier

1956 – Physician François “Papa Doc” Duvalier seizes power in a military coup and is elected president a year later.

1964 – Duvalier declares himself president-for-life and establishes a dictatorship with the help of Tontons Macoute. Tens of thousands are murdered or exiled.

1971 – Duvalier dies and is succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude, or “Baby Doc who retains his father’s regime.

1986 – Baby Doc flees to France, in the wake of mounting popular discontent and protests. Lieutenant-General Henri Namphy is placed as head of a governing council.

1988 – Leslie Manigat becomes president, but is ousted in a coup led by General Namphy. General Namphy is then expelled by Brigadier-General Prosper Avril

1990– General Avril resigns and a civilian government, lead by Supreme Court Justice Ertha Pascal-Trouillot is installed.

Democracy, Coup and Intervention

1990 – Former Roman Catholic priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide is the first democratically elected president.

1991 – Aristide is ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Raoul Cedras, triggering sanctions by the US and the Organization of American States (OAS). Over 40,000 Haitians are rescued by US Coast Guards fleeing the coup regime by boat.

1993 – UN imposes sanctions after the military regime rejects an accord facilitating Aristide’s return.

1994 – Military regime relinquishes power in the face of an imminent US invasion; US forces oversee a transition to a civilian government; Aristide returns. Aristide dismantles the military, a civilian police force is created.

1995 – UN peacekeepers begin to replace US troops; Aristide supporters win parliamentary elections; Rene Préval elected in December to replace Aristide as president.

1996 – Préval sworn in as president.

1997-99 – Serious political deadlock; new government named.

1999 – Préval declares that parliament’s term has expired and begins ruling by decree following a series of disagreements with deputies.

Aristide's Second Term

2000 November – Aristide elected president for a second non-consecutive term, amid allegations of irregularities.

2001 July – Presidential spokesman accuses former army officers of trying to overthrow the government after armed men attack three locations, killing four police officers.

2001 December – 30 armed men try to seize the National Palace in an apparent coup attempt; 12 people are killed in the raid, which the government blames on former army members.

2002 July – Haiti is approved as a full member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) trade bloc.

2003 April – Voodou is recognized as an official religion.

UN Force Sent to Help Stabilize Haiti

• UN authorized despatch of 6,700 soldiers, 1,600 police
• Mandate set to expire in October 2008, “with the intention of further renewal”
• Peacekeepers led by Brazil

2004 January-February – Celebrations marking 200 years of independence are marred by violent uprising against President Aristide. Rebels seize towns and cities; dozens are killed. Mr. Aristide is forced into exile in South Africa; an interim government, lead by Boniface Alexandre, is established.

2004 May – Severe floods in south, and in parts of neighboring Dominican Republic, leave more than 2,000 dead.

2004 June – UN peacekeepers arrive, to take over security duties from US-led force and to help flood survivors.

2004 July – International donors pledge more than $1bn in aid.

2004 September – Nearly 3,000 killed in flooding in Goaives, in the wake of tropical storm Jeanne.

Late 2004 – Rising levels of deadly political and gang violence in the capital

2005 July – Hurricane Dennis kills at least 45 people.

2006 February – General elections, the first since former President Aristide was overthrown in 2004. Réne Préval is declared the winner of the presidential vote after a deal is reached over spoiled ballot papers.

2006 June – A democratically-elected government headed by Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis takes office.

2006 October – US partially lifts an arms embargo, imposed in 1991.

2008 April – Food riots. Government announces emergency plan to cut price of rice in bid to halt unrest. Parliament dismisses Prime Minister Alexis.

2008 May – US and World Bank announce extra food aid totaling $30m.
In response to plea from President Préval for more police to help combat wave of kidnappings-for-ransom, Brazil agrees to boost its peacekeeping force.

Tropical Storms

2008 August/September – Nearly 800 people are killed and hundreds are left injured as Haiti is hit by a series of devastating storms and hurricanes.

2008 September – Michele Pierre-Louis succeeds Jacques-Edouard Alexis as Prime Minister.

2008 November – A school in Port-au-Prince collapses with approximately 500 pupils and teachers inside. The authorities blame poor construction methods.

2009 May – Former US President Bill Clinton appointed UN Special Envoy for Haiti.

2009 July – World Bank and International Monetary Fund cancel $1.2bn of Haiti’s debt – 80% of the total – after judging it to have fulfilled economic reform and poverty reduction conditions.

2009 October-November – Jean-Max Bellerive becomes Prime Minister after the Senate passes censure motion against his predecessor, Michelle Pierre-Louis.

2010 January – An estimated 200,000 people are killed when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits the capital Port-au-Prince and neighboring towns, Jacmel and Leogane – the worst in Haiti in over 200 years. Most of the capital city is left in ruins.