5. The Haitian Revolution
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1791 – 1804
Between 1791 to 18042, the Haitian Revolution was a difficult series of confrontations. It included Haitian servants, colonists, as well as the forces of both the French and British occupiers. The Haitian people finally gained freedom from France after a long battle, becoming the first country founded by former slaves.
Soon after Italian sailor Christopher Columbus found the island in 1492, the local Ciboney and Taino occupants were sold into slavery by the Spanish. The Spaniards forced the island’s people to search for gold. The island’s residents were nearly wiped off by the end of the 16th century, after suffering from harsh labor conditions and European illnesses.
Numerous slaves from surrounding Caribbean islands were brought in as a result of this. The French seized control of the territory once the reserves were empty. Stable communities were formed. By the end of the 1700s, rich landowners had raised the number of African slaves to almost 5000.
