Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Table B.
Haiti: Chronology ofImportant Events
Period
Description
1492
1492-1697
1503
Columbus lands at present-day Mole Saint-Nicolas, Haiti;
establishes first permanent Spanish New World settlement at
site of Santo Domingo.
Spain colonizes Hispaniola.
Nicolas de Ovando named governor and supreme justice;
institutes encomienda system. Importation of African slaves
begins.
1697
1791-1803
1804 January 1
1806
1807
1807-18
1807-20
1818-43
1843-1915
1860
1862
1915-34
1937
1941-42
1946-50
1950 May 10
Treaty of Ryswick: Spain cedes western part of Hispaniola,
known as Saint-Domingue, to France following War of the
Grand Alliance.
Slave rebellion in Saint-Domingue leads to revolution under
Toussaint Louverture against French expeditionary force.
Haiti becomes independent, with Jean-Jacques Dessalines as
president and, subsequently, emperor.
Dessalines assassinated.
Haiti partitioned.
Alexandre Petion president in the south.
Henry Christophe president and during 1811-20 king in the
north.
Jean-Pierre Boyer presidency; Boyer reunites Haiti 1820,
invades and occupies Santo Domingo 1822; abolishes slavery.
Period of political instability in Haiti.
Concordat restores relations between the Vatican and Haiti.
United States recognizes Haiti.
United States marines occupy Haiti.
Dominican military kills 5,000-12,000 Haitians along Haitian-Dominican
border.
Roman Catholic Church organizes anti-superstition campaign.
Dumarsais Estime presidency; new 1946 constitution and
reforms launched.
Military coup overthrows regime of Dumarsais Estime and
leads to period of instability.
1950-56
1957-71
1966
1971-86
1983
1985-86
1986 January
February 7
1986-88
1990 December
1991 February 7
Paul Magloire presidency.
Francois Duvalier presidency/dictatorship.
Revision of concordat between the Vatican and Haiti allows
Francois Duvalier to nationalize the Roman Catholic
Church.
Jean-Claude Duvalier presidency.
Pope John Paul II visits Haiti; advocates justice, more egalitarian
society.
Haitians demonstrate againstJean-Claude Duvalier.
United States withholds recertification of Haiti for foreign
assistance.
Jean-Claude Duvalier leaves Haiti.
Lieutenant General Henri Namphy heads National Council
of Government. 1
Free parliamentary and presidential elections.
Jean-Bertrand Aristide assumes presidency.
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