A History of Coffee 2) A Lasting Stain: Haiti, Colonialism and Coffee
Apr 17, 2023
Discover Haiti's transformation from a coffee powerhouse to a nation grappling with poverty. Uncover the brutal realities of slavery on plantations and the fight for independence that birthed the first black republic. Explore how revolutionary ideas spread through French coffeehouses and the pressing need for investment to revitalize Haiti's coffee sector. The contrast between Haiti's rich coffee legacy and its modern struggles paints a poignant picture of a nation longing for change.
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Failed Hunt For Haitian Beans
- James tried to source Haitian coffee but couldn't get a bag delivered within a week.
- He easily found Dominican coffee that arrived in two days, highlighting Haiti's absence from global supply.
Coffee Made Saint-Domingue Exceptionally Rich
- By the 1780s Saint-Domingue became the world's richest French colony due to mass coffee plantation growth.
- Coffee expansion drove settlement, wealth concentration, and a plantation society dependent on enslaved labor.
Brutal Abuse Documented On A Plantation
- An investigating administrator found two women on a coffee plantation shackled and tortured with burns; they later died.
- The local settler-dominated court acquitted the planter, showing legal impunity for enslavers.
