The first modern slave rebellion that created the first black republic of the americas. France demanded reparations for what they had lost, but hate couldn't pay them. They took out a bad loan from a consortium of french banks to cover the bulk of just the first payment. The debt became known as 'the double debt' because there are now two debts - one to france and another to French banks.
In 1791, enslaved Haitians did the seemingly impossible. They ousted their French masters and created the first free Black nation in the Americas.
But France made Haitians pay for that freedom.
A team of reporters from The New York Times looked at the extent and effect of the ensuing payments.
Guest: Catherine Porter, the Toronto bureau chief for The New York Times.
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Background reading:
- The first people in the modern world to free themselves from slavery and create their own nation were forced to pay for their freedom. A Times investigation explores Haiti’s reparations to France.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.