IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1367 
Recognizing the significance of the Haitian flag to the people of Haiti and 
supporting the goals and ideals of Haitian Flag Day. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 18, 2010 
Ms. CLARKE (for herself, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Mr. 
MEEK of Florida, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. 
MCMAHON, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. FILNER, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. 
JACKSON LEE of Texas, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. 
LEE of California, and Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the significance of the Haitian flag to the people 
of Haiti and supporting the goals and ideals of Haitian 
Flag Day. 
Whereas Haitian Flag Day is celebrated annually on May 18, 
marking the date of creation of the first Haitian flag 
sewn by Catherine Flon, on May 18, 1803, in Arcahaie, 
Haiti; 
Whereas the Haitian flag is a symbol of pride, unity, indi-
vidual liberty, and is tightly linked to the country’s his-
tory of struggle and freedom; 
Whereas the Haitian flag is also a commemoration of the he-
roes of Haiti’s history, Toussaint L’Ouverture, Jean- 
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•HRES 1367 IH 
Jacques Dessalines, Alexandre Petion, and Capois La 
Mort; 
Whereas Haitian Flag Day is a major Haitian national holi-
day celebrated with great fanfare on the grounds of the 
national palace and all cities in the country; 
Whereas Haitian Flag Day is also celebrated in other coun-
tries with large Haitian populations, such as the United 
States; 
Whereas the Haitian Revolution was the only successful slave 
revolt in world history, resulting in Haiti becoming the 
first Black sovereign nation; 
Whereas Haiti also became the second free republic in the 
Western Hemisphere, after the United States; 
Whereas, on August 21, 1791, the Haitian Revolution began 
its struggle against the French occupation; 
Whereas from 1791 to 1793, the revolt became more wide-
spread and gave rise to a number of large groups still 
fighting independently; 
Whereas the slave movement found some synergy and came 
to follow the leadership of Toussaint L’Ouverture; 
Whereas Toussaint L’Ouverture led the entire war under the 
French blue, white, and red flag; 
Whereas after the capture of L’Ouverture, Jean-Jacques 
Dessalines, his successor, modified the flag by stripping 
the white band from the flag, which led to the red and 
blue design and inserting the coat of arms in the center 
which carry the words, ‘‘L’Union fait la force’’ meaning 
‘‘through Unity, there is Strength’’; 
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•HRES 1367 IH 
Whereas the red symbolizes the blood and the sacrifices made 
by the heroes of the Haitian Revolution, and the blue is 
emblematic of hope and unity; 
Whereas the Haitian Revolution was one of the most influen-
tial uprisings in the Western Hemisphere, sparking slave 
revolts throughout the Caribbean which forced the even-
tual end of slavery in the British and French Caribbean; 
Whereas the Haitian Revolution also inspired the three major 
slave revolts in the United States, Gabrielle Prosser in 
1800, Denmark Vesey in 1822, and Nat Turner in 1830; 
Whereas the Trinidadian born historian, C.L.R. James, stat-
ed that the Haitian Revolution was the first in the chain 
of Pan-African revolts that led to independence through-
out Africa; 
Whereas the defeat of the French Army by the Haitian peo-
ple ruined Napoleon Bonaparte’s plan to expand the 
French Empire in the west, by forcing France to sell the 
Louisiana Territory to the United States at 4 cents per 
acre; 
Whereas the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the 
United States by 828,000 square miles from Mississippi 
to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to 
Canada; 
Whereas this was considered the biggest land deal in the his-
tory of the United States; 
Whereas the Haitian Army, led by Dessalines, devastated 
Rochembeau and the French Army at the Battle of 
Vertie`res on November 18, 1803; 
Whereas, on January 1, 1804, Dessalines declared independ-
ence, reclaiming the indigenous Taı´no name of Haiti 
(‘‘Land of Mountains’’) for the new nation; 
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