The Unprecedented and Odious Haitian Independence Debt

Several prior episodes have explored aspects of the history of the Haitian Independence Debt of 1825, in which Haitians were effectively required to pay to pay reparations to the French for winning their own freedom. The burden of this debt persisted for more than a century, and the economic effects are still felt today. Marlene Daut (Virginia) is a specialist in Caribbean, African American, and French colonial literary and historical studies. She joins us to more fully explore the history, including how France, the United States, and other powerful states worked to ensure that the debt was repaid.

Producer: Leanna Doty