Failed Republics: Haiti— Revolution, Retaliation And The Struggle To Survive

Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the first leader of independent Haiti

This is part 8 of our Failed Republics series, the close of our daily look at democracies and republics that once flourished, only to collapse from within or be crushed from without. Each case holds lessons for us today, as the U.S. and the West face their own tests of resilience against authoritarianism.

From 1791 to 1804, Haiti stunned the world by rising up against the French in their colony of Saint-Domingue— the most profitable slave colony on earth— now Haiti. It became the first Black-led republic, born from a successful slave revolt— the largest slave uprising since Spartacus’— led by figures like Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who were inspired by the French Revolution and the Declaration of the Rights Of Man, declaring all men free and equal. The Haitian Republic that followed the revolution was sometimes a democratic beacon in an age of empires and bondage, other times... not so much.

The revolution was radical in scope and ideals: liberty, equality and independence for all its citizens. It terrified slaveholding powers across the globe, especially the United States, where slaveholders feared— and never stopped talking about— the example Haiti set for enslaved people.

Everyone ganged up on Haiti. France, backed by other Western powers, imposed a crushing “independence debt” on Haiti in 1825— a ransom to recognize its sovereignty. The debt, equivalent to billions today, drained Haiti’s economy for over a century. The U.S. and Europe largely isolated Haiti, strangling trade and investment.

Haiti’s new leaders faced the impossible task of rebuilding under siege and with a devastated economy. Deep class divides— between urban elites and rural farmers— fueled instability. Coups, assassinations and power struggles eroded its democratic promise.

Foreign powers repeatedly intervened in Haitian affairs, from U.S. occupation (1915–1934) to covert destabilization efforts during the Cold War. External meddling compounded internal challenges, keeping democracy fragile and, as today, always on the brink of collapse.

Haiti’s experience shows how democracies can be strangled not just from within, but by sustained external sabotage and economic exploitation. It’s a cautionary tale about the need for solidarity, sovereignty and resilience in defending democratic values.

With Haiti, we close our Failed Republics series. From ancient Vaishali and Athens to Renaissance Italy and the Weimar Republic, these stories show that democracy isn’t a permanent state but a living, evolving system that demands constant defense, adaptation and public engagement. If we ignore the warning signs— and they’re all around us today— history has already written the ending.