May 2, 2025 — During the month of May, let us remember the contributions of our neighbors in the western hemisphere. On May 18, 1803, Jean Jacque Dessalines, the leader of a successful slave revolt and ruler of Haiti, assisted Catherine Flon (his goddaughter) with the design of Haiti’s national flag.
The flag has changed throughout the decades due to political turmoil, but what remains true is that Haiti is a democracy that was built on the backs of a successful slave revolt. Some historians argue it was one of the first successful labor struggles in the western hemisphere.
The Louisiana Purchase was made the same year as the creation of the flag. French leader Napolean Bonaparte was approached by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson through his cabinet to purchase New Orleans and as a result, Napolean decided to sell the entire French territory (doubling the square footage of the U.S.) for $15 million.
Prior to this purchase, on March 12, 1779, France sent soldiers from Haiti to fight in the American Revolution. Gen. Andre Riguad and his men were dispatched to fight in the Battle of Savannah, Georgia. Haitians fought in the American Revolution against the British before becoming independent.
This month, the PEF Caribbean American Committee invites all members to take time and reflect on the contributions our neighbors made to the founding of our democracy and our nation.