The Conflict Between Haiti and the Dominican Republic:

[Aceleron]

BTW, the actual number of Haitians that were killed in 1937 was not 25,000 but rather around 6,000. For some reason (political, no doubt), the estimates have been continually inflated every decade since then. The highest I've seen was 50,000; that's probably 5 times the actual Haitian migrant population in 1937. lol

In any case, the Dominican government did paid reparations to the Haitian government and the latter accepted, albeit the relatives of the victims didn't see a cent since the Haitian politicians pocketed what was given.

We're still waiting for a Haitian apology for the massacres they did commit against the Dominicans starting in 1805 and ending with the last invasion attempt in the mid/late 1850s. Pe?a Batlle was right when he said that the DR had the longest war of independence in the history of the Americas.

Also, the Cibao region was not the only area that faced the massacre of Dessalines/Henry Christophe in 1805, it was all over the Dominican territory. Mr. Arredondo y Pichardo mentioned that days before the butchering took place in Santiago and in Moca, among other neighboring towns, a few people from the southern region arrived, frantically warning local residents of the massacres that were committed in places like B?nica, Hincha (today Hinche and now its part of Haiti, that area and as far into current Haitian territory as San Rafael de Atalaya was traditionally Dominican territory) and San Juan de la Maguana, among other places.

It was horrible what was done to innocent people of all colors. According to the accounts, the Haitian soldiers would tell the town people that they were pardoned. That, in essence, caused people to be filled with joy and the local priests would celebrate a mass, usually in the Plaza Mayor (most Plaza Mayor are now Parque Duarte's with some exception, as in the Capital, which today is Parque Col?n in the Colonial Zone -although the Capital was spared in all invasion attempts-.) At some moment while the masses were taking place, the butchering started with machete and bayonets. Even the children were massacred and many that survived were later forced to trek all the way to Cap Haitien, many dying along the way.

Who knows what many of them faced over there.

Anyway, not once has there been a hint of forgiveness on the part of Haitian authorities. They prefer for Dominicans to just forget about those events, but I would like to see an official closure to that, like the Dominican government did when Trujillo committed the massacre in 1937. I don't expect reparations, but a letter on behalf of the Haitian people, at the very least.

The massacre of 1805 and the other invasions is the root behind the historical fear Dominicans have had towards all things Haitian.

Good post, just wish Matilda would read this before reaching the definite conclusion that the "Deguelle de Moca" has no part in the term oil between Haitians and Dominicans.

 

[AlterEgo]

Also, the Cibao region was not the only area that faced the massacre of Dessalines/Henry Christophe in 1805, it was all over the Dominican territory. Mr. Arredondo y Pichardo mentioned that days before the butchering took place in Santiago and in Moca, among other neighboring towns, a few people from the southern region arrived, frantically warning local residents of the massacres that were committed in places like B?nica, Hincha (today Hinche and now its part of Haiti, that area and as far into current Haitian territory as San Rafael de Atalaya was traditionally Dominican territory) and San Juan de la Maguana, among other places.

You're right about Banica, I've heard stories from my suegra. One of my husband's direct ancestors on his mother's side was a Frenchwoman named Florentina Blanchard who was born in Banica in the late 1700s. Her family escaped the Haitians [who devastated Banica and killed most of its inhabitants] and fled to Santo Domingo, where she later met and married an Italian immigrant named Jose Eugenio Piantini who lived in San Carlos. Yup, that Piantini.

 

[Car]

@NALs, Thanks.
It's obvious that in the Caribbean lots of people rejected their root to try to fit into the europeans conception, but I think it's a question of education that cause most of the racial tensions. White people having the economic and financial power is a societal problem where the white is well-seen in society.It is most likely to happen in every black and white society. A civilization dominated an other one. I think education can solve those matters.

In the Haiti's case, Politicians triggered tension between mulattoes or white vs black( black is majority 90%) to get elected and after the entities who has the economic power are their biggest ally, obviously the mulattoes, but socially between the population everything goes well. most of the mulattoes Haiti's president were elected by the majority. I've read an article written by a Haitian author, it's most likely to have a tension between the poor and the rich, and you know who is the rich!Then in the mulattoes section most of them are in extreme poverty and they ally to the majority to critic the rich. Less then 1% possess 90% of the country's wealth and the majority is fighting eachother to share the 10%.

Racial tensions do exist in caribbean but less in Haiti because of population majority black (more then 90%). And it's sad to seeing them so, there's no other thing that cause it than corruptions. I don't know in the DR how it is, I,ve never been there but I read some interesting stuff about them, specially in the Trujillio era.

 

[Mia Velastro]

The issue with Haiti goes further back then 1937, and Trujillo killing 25,000 Haitians doesn't even come close to how many Dominicans Haitians killed over the course of 1821 - 1863, or the fact that Haitians declared Dominicans worst then slaves, and should be treated like animals during their rule. Trujillo had become tired of the constant invasion of Haiti into Dominican Territory attempting to conquer the DR. In 1938 Trujillo declared war on Haiti, killed 25,000 Haitians and establish the current border. When questioned by US journalist about the war and the killing of so many Haitians his response was very clear "Not even half of the Chicanos that you kill on the border between the USA and Mexico."

So my question to all you Americans your so quick to rally to Haiti's defense, where was the USA when the Dominicans needed them?

Oh yes you invaded us attempting to control the island, you constantly attempted to subjected us to Haitian rule and your current President has on more then one occasion attempted to discuss merging with Haiti to help the Haitians and that we should give citizenship to those 2 million illegal Haitians on our land. Hmmmm, the answer is NO, no to merger, no to citizenship to Haitians, when the USA gives citizenship to all the illegal immigrants then come talk to us Obama. Our constitution is clear, we are not the USA, and your laws don't apply to us in our country.

You could'nt have said it any better Miacol.

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Wow, that was so well stated. I sometimes find it hard to find the words to describe why a merger would not work between DR and Haiti and you pretty much summed it up perfectly.

 

[GWOZOZO]

Here is what I have found.

"The island bears various names originated by its native people, the Ta?no Amerindians. When Columbus took possession of the island in 1492 he named it Hispana in Latin and La Isla Espa?ola, meaning "The Spanish Island", in Spanish. Bartolom? de las Casas shortened the name to "Espa?ola", and when Pietro Martyr d'Anghiera detailed his account of the island in Latin, he translated the name as Hispaniola. Because Anghiera's literary work was translated into English and French in a short period of time, the name "Hispaniola" became the most frequently used term in English-speaking countries for the island in scientific and cartographic works. La Espa?ola is still the commonly used name in Spanish.

Gonzalo Fern?ndez de Oviedo and las Casas documented that the island was called Hait? ("Mountainous Land") by the Ta?no. D'Anghiera added another name, Quizqueia (supposedly "Mother of all Lands"), but later research shows that the word does not seem to derive from the original Arawak Ta?no language. Although the Ta?nos use of Hait? is verified and the name was used by all three historians, evidence suggests that it probably was not the Ta?no name of the whole island. Hait? was the Ta?no name of a region (now known as Los Haitises) in the northeastern section of the present-day Dominican Republic. In the oldest documented map of the island, created by Andr?s de Morales, that region is named Montes de Hait? ("Haiti Mountains"). Las Casas apparently named the whole island Hait? on the basis of that particular region; d'Anghiera said that the name of one part was given to the whole island.

The colonial terms Saint-Domingue and Santo Domingo are sometimes still applied to the whole island, although these names refer, respectively, to the colonies that became Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The name Ha?ti was adopted by Haitian revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines as the official name of independent Saint-Domingue, as a tribute to the Amerindian predecessors. Quisqueya (from Quizqueia) is used to refer to the Dominican Republic."

But seriously who cares what the indians called the island.

Haitians should call it whatever they want and dominicans can call it whatever they want.

Uncle Sam has decided on the formal border between the two countries and has also chosen Hispaniola as the current name of the island for international purposes. Little Haiti and little DR will have no say on the matter.

 

[GWOZOZO]

As for any haitian/dominican conflict, DR today has the means to deport the haitians, close the border, cease all trade and contact.

DR does not have to help Haiti in any way.

The ball is in DR's court.

 

[GWOZOZO]

"Anyway, not once has there been a hint of forgiveness on the part of Haitian authorities. They prefer for Dominicans to just forget about those events, but I would like to see an official closure to that, like the Dominican government did when Trujillo committed the massacre in 1937. I don't expect reparations, but a letter on behalf of the Haitian people, at the very least.

The massacre of 1805 and the other invasions is the root behind the historical fear Dominicans have had towards all things Haitian."



Whatever the root behind how dominicans feel towards all things Haitians is irrelevant and should be of no concern to Haitians.

Today's Haitians do not owe Dominicans any hint of forgiveness for anything.

It was a time of revolution and bloodshed. Hundreds of thousands of blacks, whites and mulattos perished island wide.

Thosands of whites, blacks and mulattos fled St-Domingue for Cuba and ultimately Louisiana where these "haitian" emigres doubled New Orleans creole population.



Today's dominicans do not owe Haiti any hint of forgiveness for anything either.

It is up to each respective country to choose to remember or forget the past in any manner they see fit.

Simply sharing a geographical area does not mean Haiti and DR have to get along or cooperate on anything or see history thru the same lense.

Haiti simply needs to get its house in order and stop being a nuisance.

DR needs to seal its border.