Caribbean

Michael Crowder looks at a 19th century Haitian jewel.

In 1844 the people of the former Spanish colony of Santo Domingo rose in rebellion against the Haitians who had occupied their island since 1822. But instead of trying to establish genuine independence for their Dominican Republic, its political leaders did their best to trade it off to France and then to Spain which briefly re-annexed it in 1861.

After the French Revolution, the colony of Guadeloupe experienced many upheavals and was, for much of the time, virtually independent. Nevertheless it kept the French flag flying against both Americans and British, its garrison deriving much strength from its newly-freed slaves. When Napoleon came to power, the black population revolted the Black Consul’s racist policies. H.J.K. Jenkins retells the story.