1492 — Columbus lands and claims the whole island for Spain. In the following years the indigenous population was nearly completely wiped out by disease, enslavement and murder.
1606 — British, French and Dutch pirates establish bases to attack Spanish ships.
1664 — France takes control of the western part of the Island; began importing slaves in 1670. Slave insurrections were frequent. Some slaves escaped to the mountains and settled with the few remaining indigenous people.
1791 — A slave revolt begins the Haitian Revolution. Former slaves establish a government.
1796 — The British invade and are defeated.
1802 — Napoleon sends a massive invasion force, including 40,000 troops from other European countries. France gains control of part of Haiti and tries to reestablish slavery, but are defeated after a brutal war that killed tens of thousands of Haitians and ended with over 30,000 French and European troops dead. Poland’s military force refused to fight; about 100 joined the Haitians to fight Napoleon’s forces. Afterwards the Poles were the only whites allowed to remain in the country.
Click to read more ...