Haiti encountered a seemingly insurmountable challenge in 1825 when France extorted its former colony in return for the recognition of its independence. A French naval squadron sat off the coast of the island until Haiti agreed to pay a 100 million franc indemnity. Already struggling to make the young republic’s coffee and sugar plantations profitable without slave labor, this added financial burden sealed Haiti’s fate. The government had to borrow money from French banks to stay afloat.