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Columbus lands on the island inhabited by the Taino. He calls the island "La Espanola" or "Hispaniola"
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The Spanish conquest and esnlavement, the Taino population was reduced to 60,000 people by 1517. The Taino population continued drop over the century. In 1592, there were fewer than 200 Taino people living n the island.
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Through the Treaty of Ryswich, France gained control of one-third of Hispaniola and naimed it Saint-Domingue.
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Saint-Domingue supplied half of Europe with sugar, coffee, and cotton. (The French Revolution begins.)
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In Saint-Domingue, the affranchis (free people of color) demand equal rights with free whites based on the Declaration of the Rights of Man the Citizen. Representatives of the affranchis travel to France to request these rights from the French government, but they are denied.
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Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the failing French Directory. This event marks the end of the French Revolution. Napoleon is under increasing pressure from French merchants to re-capture Saint-Domingue and re-establish slavery. War of knives begins.
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The War of Knives ends and L'Ouverture is now leader of the colony.
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L'Ouverture establishes a Constitution. This constitutionabolishes slavery, declared that all citizens had equal rights (and that everyone living Saint Domingue were French citizens), and outlawed the practice of Voodoo.Napoleon views the constitution as a threat and refuses to recognize it.
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French forces invade Saint Domingue and intend to re-establish French power/ruler. L'Ouverture is arrested and brought to France, where hedies in prison. Napoleon reinstates slavery in the colony. Slaves organize mass resistanceagainst French forces.
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Jean-Jacques Dessalines proclaims Haiti's independence and crowns himself emperor of Haiti
