This very important book revises Haiti's history. Dupuy cogently argues that Haiti's first presidents agreed to France's demand for a large indemnity for the ousted slave owners, not because they feared further war but because they wanted to secure the transfer of property rights from former plantation owners to the new Haitian elite. Thus, he contends that it was not the large ransom Haiti paid France that incapacitated its economic growth prospects; rather, it was the failure of the Haitian upper classes to re-create Haiti's prerevolutionary plantation system (mostly sugar and indigo). Moreover, the ruling elites fought among themselves so much throughout the long 19th century, seeking enrichment by aggrandizing the state, that economic development prospects were sidelined. Dupuy also arrestingly analyzes the 20th-century battle for power between Black Haitians and mulatto interests, which led almost directly to the 29-year dictatorship of François and Jean-Claude Duvalier, Papa Doc and Baby Doc, respectively, which consumed the energies of the people and greatly retarded Haiti's prosperous emergence in modern times. Dupuy's final chapter deals with the 2023–24 eruption of gang violence, which destroyed Port-au-Prince and plunged Haiti into deep hunger and despair. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty.

Choice Reviews

Alex Dupuy, one of the most influential Haitianists of his generation, has written a powerful and trenchant work that undermines widely held assumptions about Haiti’s political and economic history. Clearly written and unencumbered by fashionable theoretical trends, Haiti since 1804, deserves a wide audience. Its arguments are persuasive and will challenge many out of their comfort zones.

Robert Fatton Jr., Julia A. Cooper Professor of Government and Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia

“Alex Dupuy is today’s leading scholar on Haiti. This volume builds on his critical understanding of Haiti’s tortured colonial and neo-colonial histories and links the country's current crisis to the ongoing actions of imperialist forces and its continuing underdevelopment along lines of class, race, and gender. The failed state and endemic crime situation are brilliantly treated. A must read!”-

Anton Allahar, professor emeritus, department of sociology, University of Western Ontario

“This book presents a brilliant analysis of the neoliberal policies imposed on Haiti by international institutions. Dupuy skillfully connects decades of extractive foreign interventions in Haiti, from the US occupation to the aftermath of Jovenel Moïse’s assassination. Haiti since 1804 points the way toward a future in which Haitians might finally regain sovereignty over their own economy and government."

Alyssa Goldstein Sepinwall, professor and director of graduate studies, History Department, California State University San Marcos