Earliest Settlement of Haiti

By Victoria924
  • Dec 6, 1492

    Columbus Discovers Land

    Colombus lands on an island that will one day become Haiti. The Taino/Arawak people inhabit the island. Historians estimate the population of this tribe to have been half a million. These peoples gave gifts to the Spanish of what little gold they had. This led to returning visits by the Spanish and oppression of the Taino/Arawak. It is now known that the island contained very little gold to begin with.
  • Jan 1, 1508

    Beginning of Slavery in Hispanola

    It was made evident that there was very little gold for the Spanish on the island, because of this the Spanish turned to making the island a farming region for food for other Caribbean and Central American countries. Although the land was worked by the Taino/Arawak people, the import of African slaves started as soon as 1508. After the import of slaves, sugar was introduced as a major crop.

  • French and Dutch Settle Island

    After the sugar crop was introduced and farmed heavily, the Spanish saw little use for the island of Hispanola, especially the portion that is now considered Haiti. Spanish settlements were now found in more lucrative areas. In 1625 the French settled with some English and Dutch pirates in what was considered abandoned land. They hunted wild cattle and some farmed and hijacked passing Spanish ships. The Spaniards tried to destroy their settlements, but they were resilient in rebuilding.

  • Land Claimed by French

    In the 1660s, French politician Jeremie Deschamps claimed the island of Hispanola for the French. In 1664 the French West India Company was established. Major exports from this area included tobacco, indigo, cotton, coffee, sugar, and cacao. This colony's exports, as well as the profits from the slave trade, accounted for the wealth of France.

  • The Haitian Revolution

    Although the French Revolution was miles away from Haiti, the idea of revolution struck a chord with the people of Haiti. At this time, it is estimated there were 500,000 slaves, 50,000 people considered free and about 30,000 of these people were black or mixed race. There were many revolts, the last uprising known as the Haitian Revolution was focused on rights of free black or mixed race persons, not abolishing slavery. This led to a war with the French ending Jan. 1 1804 with Haiti victorious