U.S. Occupation

In the 1930s, US invaded Haiti and introduced a racist policies carried out by U.S. Marines. An overall preferential but still racist treatment of Haiti's Mulato elite. During and after the American occupation in Haiti, a movement started that turning the intellectual class toward a greater appreciation of blackness, African culture. Francois Duvalier campaigned on this political ideology Noirism or Negritude Movement

"Noirisme Ideology" was defined by Matthew J. Smith (2004) as an ideology "which advocated total control of the state apparatus by black representatives of the popular classes." It is a form of political and cultural ideology that grew out of indigenism (ideologies associated with indigenous peoples), which in turn was a reaction to the American occupation of 1915 to 1934, and until the 1940's when Haiti gained back the control of its national bank. Although "color politics" were an integral part of Haiti's political scenery long before the arrival of the Marines, their presence served to strengthen the problem. During this period of U.S occupation, Haiti put an end to the Franco-German control of the Haitian economy and permanently shifted towards the U.S. However, Smith himself considered this as incomplete definition unless Occupation and post-Occupation scenarios in Haiti are considered and factors like radical, psychological, cultural, ethnological and political ideologies are taken into account.

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Here is a picture of The body of the leader of the Haitian revolution, Charlemagne Péralte. His death at the age of 33, made Charlemagne Péralte a martyr for the Haitian nation.
His death was caused by a betrayal from one of his officers.
Jean-Baptiste Conzé became an informant to US Marines Sergeant Herman H. Hanneken

Charlemagne Péralte was assassinated with a shot in the heart at close range

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Here is a picture of US Marines boarding the U.S.C Connecticut july 1915 as they are heading to Haiti

In the beginning, following the assassination of Jean Vilbrun Guillaume Sam, a Pro-U.S Haitian President, the U.S President Woodrow Wilson sent a first team of U.S Marines into Haiti on July 28, 1915. They were sent to restore order and maintain political and economic stability in the country. However, in the wake of the First World War, the President Wilson at the same time also wanted to establish U.S dominance in the region by keeping the German settlers away from Haiti. Because, the peasant guerrillas (cocos) from the northern Haiti were heavily burdened with German loans and they wanted the Germans to invade and restore order in the country.

Thus the 19- year U.S. occupation in Haiti began with the landing of 3,000 Marines at Port-au-Prince under the leadership of Admiral William B. Caperton and that continued until 1935. However, prior to that in December 1914, in the fear of foreign intervention, Wilson administration sent U.S. Marines to Haiti who removed $500,000 from the Haitian National Bank for safe keeping in New York.

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Here is a picture of United States Marines during the occupation of Haiti in 1916. This picture was taken during a hunting operation of Caco.

The United States occupation of Haiti started July 28, 1915 during the government of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and ended on August 1, 1934 during the government of Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Benoit Batraville was a Haitian army commander who was thought a puppet military leader the U.S. Marines could control. Because of his intellect and former ties to murdered insurgent leader Charlemagne Peralte, Congress appointed him commander thinking he would help them extend their territory during the U.S. Occupation.

But Batraville was secretly an insurgent leader and foiled the Marines attempt to occupy more of Haiti. They finally located Batraville on the Central Plateau and assassinated him in 1920.

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Here is a picture of Jean-Baptiste Conze, the Haitian rebel fighter who betrayed Charlemagne Peralte.

By that time, Charlemagne Péralte had already declared a provisional government in the north of Haiti.

Charlemagne Péralte was betrayed by one of his Caco fighters, Jean-Baptiste Conzé. This opportunist, led US Marines Sergeant Herman H. Hanneken and Corporal William Button into the Caco rebels camp which was located at the time near Grand-Rivière Du Nord

A name that has became famous in Haiti in its own right, Jean-Baptiste Conzé "Conzé"

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