Poles in Haiti - Table of Contents
Written and researched by Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska

The first time Poles were in Haiti was when Napoleon's troops went there to try to overthrow the slaves. This was after Haiti (then Saint Domingue) was already given its freedom by France. Napoleon Bonaparte's government was poor and he wanted the rich crops from Haiti back. He basically had no respect for the Haitian's new found freedom, and thought to put them back into slavery.

These pages explain the plight of the Polish soldiers and the Haitians.

  1. The Tragedy of the Lost Polish Brigades (1802-2002)
    This is my article that appeared in the Polish Nobility Association Foundation's journal the White Eagle's {Fall/Winter 2002 edition). This article explains how Napoleon quite literally forced the Poles on his mission.

  2. Poles in Haiti
    Supplement to the article above with information that could not be included in the White Eagle because of space issues. This page includes a timetime of events in Haiti, both before and after 1802.

  3. Officers of the 3rd Polish Half-Brigade (113)
    This page shows the Poles who have been recorded as fighting in Haiti with Napoleon. There is also information about Yellow Fever and Pirates.

  4. Events Following the Defeat of the French in Haiti
    Haiti's timeline from 1803 to modern times.

  5. Photos of our Summer of 1974 Trip to Haiti
    Photos of the Barbancourt Rum Distillery, Port-au-Prince, native boats, and Petionville Art Galleries.

  6. Photos of a friend's Spring 1975 Trip to Haiti
    Photos of a Haitian hut and their mountains.

  7. Photos of La Citadelle Ferriere and San Souci Palace, built by King Henri Christophe of Haiti.

  8. St Dominic, Patron Saint of the Dominican Republic

  9. Voodoo in Haiti
    Even though the Poles who were abandoned in Haiti were Catholic, some later became practioners of Voodoo. One man named Amon Ferdon was a voodoo piest and he claims to be a descendant of the Polish soldiers.

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