Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1920-09-18
THE HISTORY OF HAITI

Columbus. December ., l43Z. Inc Span
iards ensIaved and killed the Indian in
habitants until in 1911 only $4,000 of the
original million were left. French pirates
began to frequent the siand in the seven.
tepnth century and in 1868 the French an.
nexed the eastern part and since then the
island has been divided into Spanish and
French halves, the former known as Santo
Domingo and the latter as Haiti. African
slaves were introduced and for while
cruelty, murder and desperate revolts took
place all over the island.
Later in Haiti, a more liberal policy en-.
couraopd trade: war over and capital
and slaves poured in. Sugar, coffee, choco-
late indigo, dyes, and spices were raised.
There were large numbers OF mulattOes,
many Of whom were educated in France,
and many masters married Negro women
who had inherited large properties, just as
in the United States today white men are
marrying eagerly the landed Indian women
in the West. When white immigration in
creased in | 749, however, rejudice arose
against these mulattoes and severe laws
were passed depriving them of civil rights,
entrance into the professions, and the right
to hold Office: severe edicts were enforced
as to clothing, names, and social intercourse.
Finally, after 1777, mulattoes were forbid
den to come to France.
When the French Revolution broke out.
the IIaitans managed to send two dele.
gates to Paris Nevertheless the planters
maintained the upper hand, and one of the
colored delegates. Oge, on returning, start
ed small rebellion. He and his com
panons were killed with great brutality.
This led the French government to grant
full civil rights to free Negroes. lmme-
diatey planters and free Negroes flew to
arms against each other and then, sud.
IDENTIFY, August %. 1871, the black slaves. of
whom there were four hundred and fifty.
two thousand, arose in revolt to help the
free Negroes
For many years runaway slaves had hid
den in the mountains under their own
chiefs. One of the earliest Of these chiefs
was Polydor, in 1924. who was succeeded
by Macandal The great chief Of these
runaways or ''Maroons' at the time of the
slave revolt was Jean Francois, who was
soon succeeded by Biassou.
Pierre Dominic Toussaint. known as
Toussant L'Ouverture, joined these Ma
room bands, where he was called "the doc.
tor of the armies of the king and soon
became chief aid to Jean Francois and
Biassou. Upon their deaths Toussaint rose
to the chief command. He acquired COM
pete control over the blacks, not only in
military matters, but in politics and social
organizations "the soldiers regarded him as
a superior being, and the farmers pros
trated themselves before him. Dessalines
did not dare to look in his face and all
the world trembled before his generals
The revolt once started blacks and
mulattoes murdered whites without mercy
and the whites retailiated. Commissioners
were sent from France, who asked simply
.iy iObtC for
patton Indeed that was all that Toussaint
himself had as yet demanded. The planters
intrigued with the British and this, to.
gether with the beheading of the king Gan
impious act in the eyes Of Negroes), in.
duced Toussaint to join the Spaniards. In
1893 British troops were landed and the
French commissioners in desperation de-
clared the slaves emancipated. This at
once won back Toussaint from the Span
iardS He became supreme in the north,
while Rigaud. leader of the mulattoes, held