Haiti was the first free Black republic in the world. It won its independence in 1804, defeating one of the most powerful colonial empires of its time. Yet, more than two centuries later, the country is impoverished, politically fractured, and plagued by violence. How did that happen? And who is responsible?
I went looking for answers to a question that would not leave me alone.
Across 35 chapters, this book follows the money, the decisions, and the people who shaped Haiti's history. From slavery and the Haitian Revolution to the French indemnity, the American occupation, the dictatorships, the earthquake, and the armed groups that control the streets today, it examines the forces, both foreign and domestic, that helped shape the country's trajectory. It investigates who benefited, who paid the price, and how responsibility shifted from one generation to the next.
The blame is shared, but it is not equal. Some forces exploited Haiti from abroad. Others failed it from within. And throughout it all, ordinary Haitians have paid the highest price.
This is an examination of history, power, money, and accountability. Every claim is identified for what it is: confirmed, estimated, alleged, or one man's theory. Numbers are scrutinized, sources are examined, and uncertainty is acknowledged.
You do not need a degree in history, economics, or politics to understand this book. You only need a willingness to follow the evidence, question the accepted narratives, and confront the question that runs through every chapter:
Who is responsible?
