The Marines and the Civil War in Haiti

The marines took control of haiti in 18 17. They wanted to end the ban on foreign ownership, but even their willing collaborators did not want to give up this all important clause. The puppet president tried to outflank opposition by calling for a new election,. only to find the election brought in even more opposition. So major smedley butler led a unit of marines into the legislature and dispersed them at gun point. With the legislature dissolved, the americans then proposed a new approach. Experts in washington would draft a new constitution for haiti and submit it as a public referendum. Just shy of a hundred thousand people voted on the new constitution, which was about five % of