That's very annoying. This will take some work.
"Haiti was the first independent nation in Latin America, the first post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world,"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Revolution"The Taínos (locals) became virtually, but not completely, extinct on the island of Hispaniola. Some who evaded capture fled to the mountains and established independent settlements. Survivors mixed with escaped African slaves (runaways called maroons) and produced a multiracial generation called zambos. French settlers later called people of mixed African and Amerindian ancestry marabou. The mestizo were children born to relationships between native women and European – usually Spanish – men. During French rule, children of mixed race, usually born of unions between African women and European men, were called mulâtres."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti#Treaty_of_Ryswick_and_slave_colony"Haiti was forced to make reparations to French slaveholders in 1825 in the amount of 150 million francs, reduced in 1838 to 60 million francs, in exchange for French recognition of its independence and to achieve freedom from French aggression. This indemnity bankrupted the Haitian treasury. It mortgaged Haiti's future to the French banks that provided the funds for the large first installment, permanently affecting Haiti's ability to be prosperous"
I was wrong about one thing. My bad:
"Although the debt to the French was paid off by 1879..."
newpolitics.mayfirst.org/node/343Edit: I may not have been so wrong as I thought. Sources conflict. Wikipedia says that: "the indemnity was not fully paid until 1947."
"(Then-president Thomas) Jefferson's attitude shifted to support for the continuation of slavery (ie, French rule in Haiti and slavery in the US)."
"Louis Andre Pichon, the chargé d’affaires of France, felt that Jefferson would help to put down the slaves due to the fear of black rebellion in the U.S. Jefferson had, in fact, pledged to help starve out Toussaint L'Ouverture, Haïti's rebel leader, but due to fears of the ambitions of Napoleon Bonaparte Jefferson refrained from such action."
"Haïti attempted to establish closer ties with the United States during the Jefferson administration... (and Hatian leader) Dessalines sent a letter to Thomas Jefferson calling for closer ties between the two nations but Jefferson ignored the letter."
"Jefferson had wanted to align with the European powers in an effort to isolate Haïti, but was unsuccessful due to Britain's lack of interest in joining the proposed accord."
"Madison, commenting on the agreement to discontinue the arms trade, said that "it is probably the interest of all nations that they should be kept out of hands likely to make so bad use of them (by defending themselves and seeking independence)."
"Federalists were in favor of his policy because they felt it would help to solidify U.S. dominance over the politics and economy of the country, and would help to bring security to white people in the South who were fearful of a hemisphere-wide slave revolt."
"...official recognition did not happen until 1862, after the southern states had seceded from the United States."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Reaction_to_the_Haitian_Revolution I'm not exactly sure what I was thinking here; perhaps the US navy has shelled it a few times. However, other than the one-time colonialisation and Clinton's invasion, the US has not invaded Haiti. Maybe I was thinking of another Central/Southern American nation. Brain fart on my part, anyway.
"Duvalier skillfully exploited tensions between the United States and Cuba, emphasizing his anti-communist credentials and Haiti's strategic location as a means of winning U.S. support:"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Duvalier#Foreign_relations"The Bush I administration reacted to the disaster of democracy by shifting aid from the democratically elected government to what are called "democratic forces": the wealthy elites and the business sectors, who, along with the murderers and torturers of the military and paramilitaries, had been lauded by the current incumbents in Washington, in their Reaganite phase, for their progress in "democratic development," justifying lavish new aid."
"When Aristide was overthrown by the 1991 military coup, the Organization of American States declared an embargo. Bush I announced that the US would violate it by exempting US firms... Clinton authorized even more extreme violations of the embargo: US trade with the junta and its wealthy supporters sharply increased. The crucial element of the embargo was, of course, oil. While the CIA solemnly testified to Congress that the junta "probably will be out of fuel and power very shortly" and "Our intelligence efforts are focused on detecting attempts to circumvent the embargo and monitoring its impact," Clinton secretly authorized the Texaco Oil Company to ship oil to the junta illegally, in violation of presidential directives."
(A return by the elected leader was subject to) "the crucial conditions that Clinton imposed for Aristide's return: that he adopt the program of the defeated US candidate in the 1990 elections, a former World Bank official who had received 14% of the vote... The harsh neoliberal program that Aristide was compelled to adopt was virtually guaranteed to demolish the remaining shreds of economic sovereignty... "
www.chomsky.info/articles/20040309.htmThere is no need to even cite this. This is a general situation for the entire third world. It's called odious debt.
Just so you know, I consider you a reflexive nationalist who is unwilling to level the same skepticism at the rosy history of your own government that you would to any other. I think you have a fairly blatant double-standard in favour of your own country. It's important to note that, no matter what evidence I cite, you will not believe that your nation has done wrong. Or, perhaps, you'll lessen the wrong. This is what nationalists do.