Battle of Vertieres Day 2023: Date, History, Facts Haiti and The Battle of Vertieres

In the 1990s, both the holiday and the Haitian Armed Forces were abolished due to the latter's extensive record of violence.

Battle of Vertieres Day 2023: Every November 18, the island of Haiti comes together to commemorate Battle of Vertières Day, a pivotal occurrence in their struggle for independence. Throughout the nation, the Battle of Vertières, the last engagement between the indigenous population and the French army prior to Haiti’s independence, is commemorated. By virtue of the triumph, Haiti achieved the historic status of the first postcolonial free state in Latin America and the first nation to successfully conduct a slave revolution. A presidential address as well as a number of private and patriotic events make the day special.

Battle of Vertieres Day 2023: History

The French occupied the island of Hispaniola, which subsequently evolved into Haiti and the Dominican Republic, following the Spanish withdrawal. In the year 1625, colonies were established on the island, where sugar and coffee plantations were constructed with the labor of thousands of enslaved individuals. In the 18th century, these laborers would rise up against exploitation and initiate the Haitian Revolution.

Despite this, the French insisted on remaining on the island, which had generated enormous profits. Formerly known as Saint-Domingue, Haiti was the most prosperous French colony in the world, garnering the moniker “Pearl of the Antilles” for supplying England with nearly 60% of its coffee and 40% of its sugar.

Following several engagements, territories in Haiti were recaptured from the colonizers. The French suffered a series of setbacks, including a potentially fatal outbreak of yellow fever in May 1803, which rekindled animosity between Britain and France.

A group of Haitians led by Francois Capois and Jean-Jacques Dessalines stormed the strategic French fort Vertières on November 18, 1803, in the vicinity of the former Cap Francais in northern Haiti. When confronted with an unrelenting and ferocious assault, the French army was compelled to retreat from their position and capitulate to the Haitians. Haiti declared independence from France two months later, becoming the first country in Latin America to do so. Naturally, celebrations are warranted for such a momentous occasion. In addition to the president’s address at the Battle of Vertières monument in Port au Prince, the nation celebrates in style with a multitude of formal and informal events.

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Facts Haiti And The Battle Of Vertieres

This marked Napoleon Bonaparte’s initial significant setback.

Five short years after assuming control in 1799, Bonaparte suffered his first significant defeat in Haiti.

This is why the United States has Louisiana.

The French decided in 1803, after suffering such financial losses during the Haitian Revolution, to transfer French Louisiana to the United States for less than three cents per acre.

Early Europeans arrived in Haiti.

In 1492, with the arrival of Christopher Columbus on the island of Hispaniola, the first permanent European settlement in the Americas was established on the Haitian side.

It was once Armed Forces Day on November 18.

In the 1990s, both the Holiday and the Haitian Armed Forces were abolished due to the latter’s extensive record of violence.

Haiti opposed the worldwide slave traffic.

The United Nations commemorates International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition to recognize Haiti’s contributions after the Haitian revolution forced changes in global policy.