When Christophe died the north and south united. In 1844, the island split into two countries, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The tiny country of Haiti was in a state of anarchy, poverty was rampant and there was no one with the support or ability to rule and govern fairly. A history of bitter political and military struggle followed. From 1843 to 1934, Haiti saw 22 heads of state, most of whom left office by violent means.
Rivalry continues among the whites, the mulatto elite and the blacks.
The class system was ever present with the wealthy at one extreme and the poor at the other. When the Americans left in 1934 the country was still in shambles. From a small church in a slum a parish priest emerged from the Catholic church, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. He preached about the need for a lavalas , a flood to cleanse the country of corruption and make it new. His church was burned to the ground, but his message captured the spirit of the oppressed masses.