Legacy of the Haitian Revolution: Impact in Haiti Itself

One way to think about the legacy of the Haitian Revolution is to consider the impact of the revolution and the way it was fought on Haiti itself.

Remember that the Haitian Revolution lasted for 13 years, from 1791 to 1804. It was a long and brutal struggle that included a slave uprising against slave owners, a civil war as different groups struggled for control within Haiti, and a war against the French to gain ultimate independence.

Farms burning during the Haitian Revolution

As a part of that struggle, much of Haiti’s infrastructure[1] was destroyed. From the earliest days of the revolution, rebel slaves had taken care to destroy the colony’s sugar fields, mills, tools, farm equipment, storage bins, and slave quarters- everything that they connected with the institution of slavery. Though victorious, the Haitians were left without any industry with which to rebuild their country’s economy.

Once Haiti was achieved its independence from France, a new constitution was written that reaffirmed the permanent abolition of slavery, established all Haitians as free and equal, and confirmed the right to land ownership.  Most land- the former plantations- were divided up and small plots of land were given to individual families. Most families focused on subsistence agriculture- growing a variety of food in small quantities to feed themselves. While this provided the most individual freedom, it was difficult for individual families – and the nation as a whole- build up wealth.

When France recognized Haiti’s independence, the leader of France (King Charles X) forced Haiti to pay for damages caused to French interests during the Revolution- an amount equaling roughly $22 billion US dollars today. The “damages” were meant to cover French planters’ loss of property, including slaves. This left Haiti deep in debt.

In order to pay this debt, Haiti was forced to take out high interest loans from other countries. Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, France, Britain, Germany, and the United States regularly sent warships to Haitian waters to demand payments for these loans. The debt made it very difficult for Haiti to develop economically for more than a century after independence. By 1913, more than 80% of Haiti’s annual income was used to pay for its debt.

Haitian Flag

With the Haitian revolution, Haiti became the first independent nation in Latin America, the first post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world, and the only nation whose independence was gained as part of a successful slave rebellion. It was the only nation that stood for true freedom for ALL of its people, but that freedom came at a great price- Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and the poorest in the western hemisphere today.

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[1] Public services like roads or sanitation pipes