Greater Antilles Haiti: three names Hispaniola (Spanish) Saint Domingue (French) Haiti (independent)

Greater Antilles

Haiti: three names

Hispaniola (Spanish) Saint Domingue (French) Haiti (independent)

Hispaniola

Columbus 1492: BahamasCuba Isla Espanola (Hispaniola)

first settlement Navidad (Santa Maria is grounded on Christmas day and destroyed.

Eventually his brother is in charge as Adelantado 1496: Santo Domingo is founded and remains

administrative capital of the Spanish Empire until 1526

Natural destination for ships from Europe Encomienda system set up by crown

Natural destination

Settlement of Hispaniola Military/monastic types sent as governors

Bobadilla and Ovando Bobadilla (1500-1502)

Sets up the monopoly trade system that would eventually impoverish Hispaniola

Arrested Columbus brothers, sent back to Spain in chains Ovando (1502: severe and repressive rule)

Euro population soars—10,000 Natives die off

Bartolome de las Casas comes with Ovando: reports that there were up to 4 million natives there in 1492.

Founds 15 cities Eventually mines fail and Hispaniola becomes a way

station

Highs and Lows for Hispaniola Audencia of Santo Domingo:1511

Highest court, legislative body At first, governs all of the Americas Second audencia in Mexico City in 1528 SD audencia retains jurisdiction over

Caribbean islands, Florida, Northern Venezuela

Convoy System depresses the Caribbean Monopoly system Controlled by merchant guilds in Spain, Mexico and Lima Less and less room for cargoes to or from the Antilles Even sugar disappears from the Spanish islands!! Islands are ignored, become self sufficient Only ended under Bourbons after 1765 with freer trade

Hispaniola deteriorates Late 16th C.: Havana gains prominence in protecting

treasure fleets Cortes orders different route through Bahama Channel

instead of Windward Passage More interesting relative to the conquest of Florida and North

America Second half of 17th C.: The buccaneers and Hispaniola

Inter-island trade almost disappears from Hispaniola Santo Domingo: “city of lawyers” Lots of smuggling: governor orders burns towns and orders

people to move to SD: Cattle run wildvast herds proliferate Buccaneers invade east part and barbecue the cows Haitian bucs are linked to the Buccaneer Kingdom of Tortuga

Havana usurps key role

W. HispaniolaSaint Domingue

1665: French control by D’Ogeron Governor for the French West India Company By 1681: 4000 settlers

Tobacco Sugar after 1697

BOOM!!! Louis XIV permits licensing of pirates

Source of wealth protection

Sugar! Mid 18th C. Richest sugar producer along with

Jamaica Two stages

Cane estates along coast Irrigation system in central provinces

Also coffee, indigo, cotton By 1789, Saint Domingue is the most valuable

colony in the world 40% of the world’s sugar 50% of the world’s coffee 40% of France’s foreign trade

European revolution, war, and independence French revolution 1789

Civil war in Saint Domingue Abolishment of slavery in 1793 Fifth Caribbean war between France and Great Britain (on many

islands) Toussaint Louverture helps French defeat Brits on Saint Domingue (assisted by slave rebellions on other islands, disease)

Toussaint becomes a dictator with another problem: Napoleon Bonaparte.

Authoritarian state based economy is his solution to garner funds needed to defeat Napoleon

Sets up centralized authoritarian system that would influence history to this day

Napoleon invades in 1801 Eventually captures and deposes TL, but yellow fever and fierce resistance

overcome him

Haiti: The land of the mountains”the 19th Century

State socialism continues under new rulers until the division of Haiti into the Kingdom and the Republic (1818)

Boyer reunites and extends rule to all of Hispaniola No investment in infrastructure or education Increasingly 2 castes: coloured elites and black peasants

70 years of political instability-becomes normal Santo Domingo declines 1882: Heureaux in power: classic kleptocrat

investors come

1895: Santo Domingo Improvement Company (US) Purchases debt in exchange for receipts Defacto situation: No government Roosevelt steps in to administer until 1940

Worried about the Panama canal

Haiti in the 20th century Haiti stagnates Neighboring Dominican Republic

Trujillo: dictator from 1931-1961 Flourishes as producer of tropical products Many Haitians go there for work

Conflicts between them Woodrow Wilson sends in Marines DR from 1916-1924 Haiti from 1915-1934

“Papa Doc” Duvalier won election in 1957, but became dictatorial 1971--“Baby Doc” another kleptocrat

1986—forced into exile 1991: Aristide wins and is overthrown (popular priest)

Reinstated in 1994 with the help of the US US and UN stay until 1997