There is nearly no doubt that of all the countries in the Americas, Haiti's in the worst spot. Haiti has a very hight rate of violent crime, unemployment, poverty, and infant mortality. But what if all that was different? Is a Haiti which is better off, and even expansionist, possible? How hard is it to have a Haiti that's relatively average compared to other Caribbean countries, rather than being behind?
WI: Expansionist Haiti
- Thread starter TunguskaStorm
- Start date
I don't think it's feasible in a world where the British have the Royal Navy and their own colonial possessions in the region unless conditions change a lot in the region. I think you'd have to have a colonial free for all where every European state is trying to incite slave revolts across each others' colonies with Haiti being the first and the most important of these revolts. With Haiti being the poster child of slave revolution and with multiple failed attempts by Europeans to reintroduce slavery, Haiti could gradually expand in the Caribbean as Europeans are kicked out/give up and wash their hands of their slaving ventures.
Maybe an alternate second half to the 18th century where France loses Haiti due to British-backed slave uprising could fit the bill? France without Haitian sugar to tax and with limited resources could then try and copy Britain by helping to incite slave revolts in their colonies like Jamaica in a followup shortly after to decent success. Haiti is kept 'safe' by the RN during its early years after kicking out the French and the British don't attempt to interfere directly(due to being busy with the French) and content to trade with the Haitians to offset the losses caused by French-incited rebellions. Any attempts to commit resources into taking Haiti falter as France is financially FUBAR'd due to the wars + no Haiti and multiple French islands come under Haitian suzerainty, and unofficially, some British islands. But I don't know where you go from there unless you can put the British in a very vulnerable position to the point where they give up on their Caribbean islands as being ungovernable with slavery.
Last edited:
Maybe Haiti buddies up with ol Nappy and while the RN is distracted they attack the British sugar colonies? I don't know how successful they'd be... unless it happens in 1812? Two minor wars and a major one would leave even Britain strapped for boats, right?
Deleted member 67076
This was the case before the 1950s actually.
Expansionism isnt really possible however as there arent many venues to expand in, nor much of a desire internally (Haiti has always emphasized a defensive strategy). Even holding onto Santo Domingo is a tremendous challenge; its remarkable it held onto it for 22 years IOTL.
Wouldn't that leave it vulnerable to British attack? It's easy to get Haiti nominally remain with France under Toussaint Louverture though.
Hence 1812. Ideally the British are too distracted between the main french war and the sideshow in canada
Would an American-Haitian alliance be in the cards? I seriously doubt it but it's certainly something to think about.
Much as I want it, it's not happening before ttl's ACW because the south had too much (by which I mean any) influence in politics. Though I wonder what this Haiti wank could mean for abolition or back to africa. If there's a convenient "african American" empire right there...
I wouldn't mind writing a Haiti-wank TL because of just how interesting that'd be. As for the Back-to-Africa movement and TTL's Haitian Empire, it could see increased immigration from freed Louisiana Blacks while simultaneously horrifying the American South even more than it did OTL. Many of the Black nationalists that advocated emigration could see its target becoming Haiti instead of Liberia which poses the question of whether or not the Liberian project becomes its own independent state instead of remaining an American territory.
Maybe America collapses after a series of incompetent presidencies and massive political turmoil, leading to a slave revolt which receives copious Haitian support. If the slave revolt was to succeed, the new freedman country would then become a part of Haiti. This is very hard, and pretty implausible, but this is the best Haiti-wank I could think of.
1812 is too late. Haïti and France want nothing to do with each other by that time. Unless you mean that the events of 1802-04 are butterflied away.
Alarico Rodríguez
Banned
Have Toussaint Louverture ally close with the French Revolution, send weapons and do a military build up to defend Haiti against Spain (which had the other half of the island), then have Jacques Dessalines invade Dominica and take over the whole of Hispaniola. They then ally themselves with the British, securing the liberation of Latin America from Spain, do further military build up, and invade Cuba, which is something the British would support. Of course, this hypothetical Greater Antille would have the disadvantage of basically becoming a British semi-protectorate, just like it happened to everything in Latin America south of Mexico.
Not unless the Southern states are allowed to secede. The fear of a Haitian style slave rebellion haunted the Southern Aristocracy. This is part of the reason why the 1811 German Coast Uprising was put down so brutally.
He did this. It was Napoléon who decided to remove him from power.
Yes, if Napoleon had seen an independent Haiti as a source of useful soldiers. If Toussant L'Ouverture conquered Jamaica or other British Caribbean possessions for France in exchange for an efficient medical corps, both to reduce disease in adult soldiers and to reduce death in childbirth, you have an independent Haiti coming out of the Napoleonic wars, and the expanding population expansionist Haiti needs.
Was Napoleon ever inclined to perceive Haiti in such a way, or Toussaint capable of such?