Why is Haiti so poor? A history of quake-hit island (Was once France’s richest colonial possession)

The First Post ^ | 01/15/2010 | Tim Edwards

[shield]

Look at Africa...chased out the Europeans and now almost all the countries are hellholes.

[conimbricenses]

Most of the British Caribbean islands are actually pretty nice.

The Caymans are the best example & are virtually indistinguishable from anything you'll find in the first world. The Bahamas, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis are all very hospitable tourist-friendly locations.

It's the french colonies that are the armpits of the world, and Haiti is the worst of them.

[Glenn]

It is weighing heavy on my heart to adopt one of these orphaned kids.

[BunnySlippers]

BUMP

[conimbricenses]

A nation forged by a slave revolt set a terrible precedent in a world heavily dependent on slave labour and France persuaded Spain and the US to join it in an economic embargo. That is complete fabricated bullshit. Here are the real dates you will not find from sources that like to blame Haiti's dysfunctional society on "imperialism" and "racism" and America.

1815 - The U.S. imported $60,000 worth of goods from Haiti (this was the first year that the Treasury Department tracked imports into the United States by place of origin). The main products were molasses, rum, and sugar. Haiti's imports into the U.S. made it one of our largest Caribbean trading partners. It exceeded Brazil, Florida (then a Spanish colony), and all of the Dutch, French, and Danish West Indies. Only the British and Spanish Caribbean colonies traded more, and they were economically much larger than Haiti. Source: U.S. Treasury Department, record of imports for 1815

1819 - The State Department formally requested and received a list of the commercial tariffs and trade laws imposed by the "Republic of Hayti" on goods traveling to and from the United States. Jean-Pierre Boyer, President of Haiti, officially transmitted the documents to President James Monroe on April 3, 1819. Source: State Department, Digest of Commercial Regulations, 1824.

1833 - The State Department listed three full time U.S. Consuls in Haiti in its report to Congress on existing U.S. consular officers presently stationed abroad (note: the presence of U.S. consuls in Haiti predated this report).

[conimbricenses]

During the early 1800’s the U.S. also frequently contracted with the Haitian government to permit the migration of freed slaves to Haiti. The first such effort was started in 1817 and continued until 1863 when the Haitian government granted the U.S. permission to build a colony for ex slaves on an uninhabited island off its coast. They actually sent 500 liberated slaves there during the middle of the Civil War, but the colony was hit hard by a malaria outbreak in 1864 and had to be abandoned.

[BenKenobi]

[quote]
Barbados, St. Maarten, and yes, even Grenada today are doing quite well.
[/quote]

Barbados (British). St. Maarten (Dutch). Grenada (British).

See a pattern? ;)

[SeekAndFind]

Barbados (British). St. Maarten (Dutch). Grenada (British).

Actually St. Maarten has two halves, one part Dutch, the other French (Northern part, officially the Collectivity of Saint Martin). I'd say the Dutch side looks better, but the French side isn't that bad either.

[BenKenobi]

And Grenada was originally a French colony ceded in the Treaty of Paris.

As far as I can see, yes it does matter who is a part of the colony, but British management was better than Spanish or French management.

[Altura Ct.]

Was once France’s richest colonial possession

Hmmm, that sounds familiar -'was once'. Oh yeah, I remember now. Rhodesia was once the 'breadbasket' of Africa and South Africa was also quite well run.

[SeekAndFind]

Rhodesia was once the 'breadbasket' of Africa

For those who don't know ( not you of course )... this country is now known as -- Zimbabwe. My brother, who lives in Melbourne tells me that a lot of immigrants from Zimbabwe have moved to Australia. All of them -- WHITE ( go figure ).