Republic of Haiti (1859–1957) in the context of Tirésias Simon Sam


Republic of Haiti (1859–1957) in the context of Tirésias Simon Sam

⭐ Core Definition: Republic of Haiti (1859–1957)

The Republic of Haiti (French: République d’Haïti, Haitian Creole: Repiblik d Ayiti) was reestablished by Fabre Geffrard following the fall of Faustin I and his empire. Geffrard's rule was short-lived; in 1867, Sylvain Salnave overthrew Geffrard and ruled autocratically, leading to widespread discontent and his eventual execution in 1870. He was succeeded by General Jean-Nicolas Nissage Saget.

The late 19th century saw the rise of two political parties: the Liberal Party (PL), representing the mulatto elite, and the National Party (PN), aligned with the black majority. In a rare instance of orderly succession, Saget peacefully handed power over to National-aligned Michel Domingue. However, Domingue's presidency cut short in 1876 when the Liberals overthrew him, installing Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal in his place. The Liberals then became increasingly factionalized and divided, paving the way for Lysius Salomon, part of the Nationals, to assume the presidency on 1879. The presidency of Lysius Salomon (1879–1888) brought monetary reform and a cultural renaissance, yet his attempts to extend his rule sparked opposition, leading to his resignation; Haiti descended into civil war. Florvil Hyppolite (1889–1896) eventually reunified the nation, ushering in a rare period of political stability that was maintained by his successor Tirésias Simon Sam (1896–1902).

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Republic of Haiti (1859–1957) in the context of United States occupation of Haiti

The United States occupation of Haiti began on July 28, 1915, when 330 U.S. Marines landed at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the National City Bank of New York (now Citibank) convinced U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to take control of the country's political and financial interests. The occupation took place following years of socioeconomic instability within Haiti that culminated with the lynching of Haitian President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam by a mob angered by his executions of political prisoners.

During the occupation, Haiti had three new presidents while the United States ruled as a military regime through martial law, led by Marines and the U.S.-created Gendarmerie of Haiti. A corvée system of forced labor was used by the U.S. for infrastructure projects, resulting in hundreds to thousands of deaths. The occupation ended the constitutional ban on foreign ownership of land, which had existed since the foundation of Haiti.

View the full Wikipedia page for United States occupation of Haiti
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