Actually, I spoke correctly. The island has been separated officially since 1697, when the French and Spanish signed a treaty. From that time, until shortly after Haiti’s independence, it was the most wealthy colony in the area, perhaps the world. Definately substantially more wealthy than the Spanish half of the island, which the Haitians actually occupied for a time. After Haitian independence this wealth ended.
Do you think we in America treated our slaves well? Then, you need to read the account written by runaway slave, Fredrick Douglas.
The Dominican Republic also had a population which was over 90% slaves. Again, those slaves were also treated horrifically. The first major uprising of slaves, was in fact in the country we now call the Dominican Republic. Yet history has shown that neither one of our nations has ever been in as horrible a situation as Haiti—before the quake.
—Yet. But, those days may be on the way...
France ended up with the entire island again after most of the Spaniards left as Mexico developed, but even so it appears slaves didn’t account for more than 50% of the much smaller Dominican population (a quarter of Haiti’s). And when wealth is measured in slaves, who is the richest? Are you telling me that modern Haitians brought this horrific trajedy on themselves and they somehow deserve what they have coming to them?