Saint-Domingue

Saint- Domingue was from 1697 to 1804 a French colony on the territory of present-day Haiti. The name Saint- Domingue is the French equivalent of the Spanish concept of Santo Domingo

History

By the year 1697 Spain dominated the whole, also known as Santo Domingo island of Hispaniola. In the Peace of Rijswijk Spain renounced then for France on the western third of the island. From now on the island of Hispaniola was divided into the French Saint- Domingue (now Haiti) and Santo Domingo ( now the Dominican Republic).

Saint- Domingue, today significantly poorer part, had at the time of French rule a prosperous economy. The colonial masters were cut down forest to make room for cotton and sugar cane plantations. These goods have been successfully exported along with coffee to Europe. At times, Saint- Domingue was France's richest colony. To increase the profit on, more and more African slaves were brought to Saint- Domingue, so that the end of the 18th century 90 % of the population "colored" were. At times were 40 000 slaves "imported". In retrospect, the time required for the cultivation deforestation of the rain forest turned out to be a great error and is one of the many factors that contribute to the difficult situation of present-day Haiti. Thus caused by deforestation extreme erosion. Today, only 30 % of agricultural land in Haiti are available. A side effect is the fact that today lack the forests as a protective barrier against flooding and mudslides. Haiti is helping in the World Risk Report of the alliance development as very vulnerable assessed. Rain forest has been cut down not only by the colonial masters to a large extent, but under others Jean -Claude Duvalier, who ruled as a dictator of Haiti from 1971 to 1986.

1791 began in Saint- Domingue, the slave revolts led by François -Dominique Toussaint L' Ouverture. During the riots, there were massacres of the white population, the abolition, reintroduction and re- abolish slavery, to a French invasion of the island, the expulsion of the French troops by the black generals, civil war between blacks and mulattoes as well as the occupation and subsequent evacuation of the Spanish part of the island. 1804 Haiti became independent and thus the first independent state in Latin America and the first independent state with colored population. In addition, the slave of the most successful slave revolts succeeded at all.

Ultimately, however, the euphoric celebrated independence of Saint -Domingue was the beginning of their financial and economic ruin. From the wealth of the colony remained after independence not much left. Cause was mainly the compensation that had to pay Saint- Domingue after its independence from France. Also, the decline in exports and increasing subsistence of the population contributed to the decline of the state.