Courtly Lives - Poles in Haiti-Part B

Events That Occured After the Poles Were Abandoned by the French
Written and researched by Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska

The reason the non-commissioned soldiers were left in Haiti was that the French considered them traitors. Never mind that they were taken to Haiti by gunpoint. They deserted because they were both scared of their own ultimate death and because they thought the French were too brutal in their killings.

What the Stranded Polish Soldiers Had to Live With:

First of all, you must remember that Haiti was a world the Polish soldiers never imagined. Poland was not this hot. Poland did not have yellow fever and other tropical diseases. They were ill prepared for the heat and thus looked to the mountains. Most Poles were not familiar with black men. There was hatred towards whites perpetrated by the blacks, and the French feared and hated the blacks equally, in return. The Poles that could afford it bought passage back to Poland. Those that could not fled to the remote, uninhabited areas where they thought the French could not find them. At this point they weren't sure they might not be killed by the slaves. They knew their lives were not valued, at this point, by either side. To surrender meant either instant death or a punishment. Their fate was made they had to hide. Eventually they learned that they could own land because they fought with the slaves. Their world as they knew it was in total and complete upheaval.

1804 ... From 1804-1826, no foreign nation recognizes Haiti's existence.

1804 ... Saint Domingue is declared an independant country, on January 1, 1804 and is renamed "Haiti" meaning "land of the mountains" in Arawak. Jean Jacques Dessalines (1758-1806) is crowned emperor Jacques I.

1805 ... Dessalines crowns himself emperor and orders all the French murdered. One of Dessalines lieutenants, Boisrond Tonnere, voiced"

"To write this act of Independence we must have a white man's skin for parchment, his skull for an inkwell, his blood for ink, and a bayonet as pen."

When slaves began to fight for freedom they were one of the richest nations in the world. Years of battle and land-misuse soon improverished Haiti. Irrigation systems, built by the French to serve their plantations, were all destroyed.

Dessalines was born in Africa, and was a field hand on a cane estate owned by a black freeman. He had the scars of his master's whip. Dessalines hated both white and people of color (half black/half white). Through forgery and murder Dessalines took all the valuable estates. He decreed that all persons must work, as soldiers or as laborers. The laborers would be bound for life to their set estate.

1805 ... Haitian Constitution prohibited whites from owning property in Haiti, exceptions are Poles, Germans, Swiss, and foreign women married to Haitain men.

There are two castes in Haiti: black peasants in the country growing their own food, and the colored elite dominated commerce and politics.

1805 ... General Ferrand, a French Commander sets up in Santo Domingo

1805 ... Haiti (formerly Saint-Domingue) has 380,000 total people after the wars.

1806 ... March 9, 1805, Petion designs the Haitian coat of arms.

1806 ... By December 30, 1806, Dombrowski has again collected 30,000 men for his legions. Remember Dombrowski did not go to Haiti.

1806 ... Dessalines is murdered by political rivals in October 18, 1807 at Pont-Rouge (near Port-au-Prince.

1807 ... Alexandre Petion (1770-1818) is dubbed the founder of the Republic of southern Haiti and Henri Christophe take control of northern Haiti respectively.

King Henri I Christophe (1767-1820) builds his San Souci Palace (fashioned after that of Frederick the Great, of Prussia) and his Citadelle La Ferriere, near Cap Haitien.

His Royal Dohoments were his 4,000 person bodygaurds, recruited in Africa, thus only loyal to him.

1809 ... The French lose Santo Domingo, the port, and it goes back to Spanish control.

1811 ... March 28, 1811, Haiti is declared a "kingdom" by King Henri I (Christophe)

1816 - Simon Bolivar went to Haiti, Petion equips him for his third assualt in Venezuela.

1818 ... Jean Pierre Boyer replaces Petion, who dies on March 29, 1818.

1820 ... Henri Christophe commits suicide and Boyer rules both portions of Haiti, uniting the country.

1821 ... Boyer also controls the Spanish colony in eastern Hispaniola. On November 30, 1821 Santo Domingo declares its independence.

Boyer agrees to pay 150 million francs, in gold, as indemity for French property lost during the rebellion. This figure is reduced to 60 million, and later to 20 million, since Haiti could not pay. This debt was never paid to French satisfaction. They lost more money than they even recaptured.

1824 ... Haiti's population is estimated at 590,000.

1843 ... January 27, 1843, a revolt begins, in Haiti, led by Charles Rivere-Herald.

1843 ... Haiti's population is estimated at 830,136.

1844 ... the eastern Spanish colony revolts against Boyer, and Haiti and the Dominican Republics ties are separated.

1844- ....1914 ... Thirty-two (32) different men rule Haiti, causing political chaos. The country suffers financially, falling from richest country to the poorest.

1847 ... Faustin Soulouque (1788-1873) is made Emperor Faustin I and tries to re-conquer the Dominican Republic. He is unsuccesful!

1860 ... Concordat-the Vatican recognizes Haiti and the members of religious orders begin to run schools for the elite.

1863 ... Haiti's population is estimated at 1,100,000.

1907 ... Birth of Francois Duvalier on April 14, 1907 (future dictator of Haiti), in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Duvalier's regime stressed negritude which is a pride in blackness and their African heritage.

1915 - 1934 ... U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sends marines to Haiti to stop political unrest and hopefully restore peace. Highways, schools and hospitals are built in Haiti, which up to this point had none of these modern conveniences.

1918-
....1919 ... Peralte Rebellion, in Haiti, finds most roads, in Haiti, in ruin. They have not been improved since their completion, in 1789.

1919 ... The population of Haiti is estimated at 1,631,250 OR 1,000 people per square mile. Haiti has 10,704 square miles in its territory.

1929 ... The Great Depression reduces Haiti's coffee sales.

1934 ... The United States forces withdraw and Haiti is again able to control its own affairs. However, power struggles continue between Catholics and Voodoo leaders.

1939 ... Francois Duvalier marries Simone Ovide (b. 1913?) on December 27, 1939. They have four children.

1945 ... death of Faustus Wilkus, a Polish American on his maternal side.

On Ocotber 8, 1950 Maglorie allows male adults to vote. Women still are not granted this privilage.

1956 ... Paul Magliore (1907-?) declares himself Haiti's president in 1950, then flees the country with $12-18 million in stolen government funds. Eight months of chaos follows his departure.

1957 ... Francois Duvalier (1907-1971) was elected president, on September 1957, with overwhelming odds..

Marcel Pierre was an early and loyal follower of Francois Duvalier, and a notorious member of the Ton Ton Macoute. The Ton Ton Macoute were Duvalier's bodyguards. In the early 1960's, Duvalier killed hundreds of mulatto elite (Davis, 87).

Marcel Pierre was reputed to be capable of making zombie poison. This same poison was used on him and left him permanently scarred. He used his dynamic plant preparations that were both poisonous and hallucinogenic.

1964 ... May 22, 1964, Duvalier declares himself President for Life.

1970 ... Haiti's population is now at 5,269,392.

1971 ... April 21/22, 1971, the death of Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier. Under Papa Doc's rule most of the elite fled the country and the poor became even poorer. His son is named "President for Life" (at age 19).

1975 ... November investigation of Haitian activities by the CIA.

1980 ... Jean Claude Duvalier, son of Francois Duvalier, marries Michel Bennett and appoints his own men, firing his father's men, causing another incident.

1983 ... the visit of Pope John Paul II. Casales' citizens are brought to meet the Pope by "Baby Doc" Duvalier. Most Haitian priest are now non-foreigners from modest backgrounds.

1985 ... Visit of Jerzy Detopski, who takes Casales resident, Amon Fremon to Poland for over a year.

1985 ... A year of severe food shortages in Haiti. Madame Duvalier causes a stir by spending $1.7 million on a shopping spree in Paris, France. The people are up in arms!

1986 ... On February 7, 1986, Jean Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier flees Haiti, with his mother, Simone Duvalier, and his wife and they settle in France. They are accompanied by a small group of their followers. No one knows how much money left the government coffers, at this time.

1987 ... November elections send Haiti into political chaos.

1988 ... June 1988, the presidency of Haiti is seized by General Murphy.

1989 ... September 1989, Lt. General Prosper Avril, a former advisor to both Devaliers, emerges as Haiti's president.

1990 ... January 1990, Avril declares a state of siege. He resigns and flees to Florida.

1990 ... In December, Jean Bertrand Aristide (1952 - ), is elected leader of Haiti, by a 2/3 vote of the people. He was a priest from the slums of Port Au Prince. He was elected by 67% of the people.

1991 ... A military coup removes Aristide. Ettha Pascal-Trouillet (1944- ) serves as interim president until the elections.

1994 ... Aristide returns as President of Haiti.

1991 ... October 31, 1991, Aristide goes into exile.

1996 ... Italian author Riccardo Orizio visits Casales while researching his book.

1996 ... March 25, 1996, Rene Preval is elected with a 87% vote, as President of Haiti. 64% of Haiti's budget is financed through foreign aid.

2001 ... January 2001, Aristide began his second tern as President of Haiti.

2001 ... February 7, 2001, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide wins the election by 92% of the vote.

2002 ... September 21, 2002, Port-au-Prince, Haiti has riots. This erupts after the disappearance of Felix Bien-Aime, former director of the Port-au-Prince cemetary and political activist affliated with the Lavalas family party of the Haitian president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

***Throughout the years, there are many Communist factions in Haiti. There are also many publications such as Liberation/Demokrasi, Voix de Peiple, Rassemblement, Ralliement, A vant-Garde,Cerf Volant, Manchette, and Boukan ... all these factions tend to increase tensions and hatred of whites, as the reason for all their sufferings.

This deadlock with the incoming president has resulted in the suspension of the $500 million in international aid to Haiti. Arniot Metayer escaped from prison, resulting in the escape of 150 other prisoners. This results in the burning of several government buildings.

Three days of rioting occurs and they are asking for Aristide's resignation, as he is now being accused of fixing his own election.

Violence has been Haiti's 200 year legacy.

*****

SOURCES:

Diederich, Bernard and Al Burt. Papa DOC: The Truth About Haiti Today. New York: Avon Books, 1970.

Nabaszek, Dariuz, Thomas Biber, et al. An Illustrated History of Poland. Poznan, Poland: Podsiedlik Raniowski & Co., Ltd, 1988.

Pivka, Otto von. Napoleon's Polish Troops. Berksire, Eng.: Osprey Publishing Limited. Men-at-Arms Series, 1974.

Orizio, Riccardo. Lost White Tribes: The End of Privilege and the Last Colonials in Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Brazil, Haiti, Namibia, and Guadeloupe. New York: Free Press, 2000, 124-179.

Rogozinski, Jan. A Brief History of the Caribbean: From the Arawak and the Carib to the Present. New York: A Meridian Book, 1994.

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