There is a really interesting interaction between geography and the dominant energy source needed for oceanic shipping. During the Era of Sailing ships, the geography of wind patterns played an important role in which geographical regions were important (as you document). When coal displayed sail, the geography of coal fields and coaling stations completely reshaped the regions that were strategically important. Then when marine diesels displaced coal, the oil fields reshaped the regions that were strategically important once again.
Tomas really compresses the story of Haitian independence (it's not the point of the article). France DID try very hard to hold on to Haiti, whose sugar production was incredibly valuable, but it was difficult both in an era of French Revolution (how does slavery get justified vis-a-vis the Rights of Man?) and what was essentially the first World War (French Revolutionary then later Napoleonic Wars). The war for independence was long and brutal, and as former slaves the Haitians found themselves in a position where NO ONE, including the US, was eager to see them free and successful. The peace treaty they finally signed with France was extremely punitive, requiring them to pay massive reparations to France for the loss of their sugar plantations. This had a crippling effect on Haiti's ability to establish itself economically.
Related to European shipping in the Caribbean, I'd love to see an article about white slavery, the Barbary coast, and "who were the real slavers?", i.e. throughout history, who captured people and sold them as slaves?
Defeating an enemy and using the captured people as slaves would be fairly normal, but who decided that people should be captured for profit?
You are presumably implying that "black slavery" was advanced by the fact that there was a lot of money to be made from using slaves to produce valuable crops. Fair comment, but:-
1. Money doesn't know the colour of your skin.
2. It was the Africans in Africa who were capturing African slaves and selling them to whoever would buy them. It wasn't Japanese selling Chinese, or Arabs selling Levants, or Palestinians selling Persians. It was Africans selling Africans.
You're not following my hints. African slaves were valuable in a way that others weren't because the regions that were importing them were heavily infested with malaria-carrying mosquitos, and Africans had greater immunity to malaria due to the recessive sickle-cell anemia mutation.
So, if you have to pay X amount of money to import each slave, and one type of slave has a 50% chance of dying in the next 5 years and the other only a 10% chance of dying, which slave is cheaper and helps you profit more? See, money does know color of skin, in a way. Yes, it was Africans selling Africans. And Arabs frequently sold Africans as well, but the Africans sold directly to the Europeans, because the Europeans had lots that the sellers wanted, either money or goods, so the price was great. I'm not sure what your point about Africans selling Africans is.
Extremely complicated and I don’t have perfect answers yet.
There are massive historical reasons. Haiti became independent much earlier (~1800), through a bloody slave revolution, got forced to pay reparations to France, which took well over one century… All this means massive financial burden with no pass down of governance or institutions, elite flight, and other very negative things that can leave a heavy burden.
For sure all of this had a serious impact, I just don’t know what share of the development gap it explains.
I loved this article. As a Jamaican, it was fun to read more about my country from a geopolitical perspective. An elder on a plane ride home once told me that Jamaica’s first Governor was Sir Henry Morgan, a pirate, and that our country has been unruly ever since. An enjoyable read!
There is a really interesting interaction between geography and the dominant energy source needed for oceanic shipping. During the Era of Sailing ships, the geography of wind patterns played an important role in which geographical regions were important (as you document). When coal displayed sail, the geography of coal fields and coaling stations completely reshaped the regions that were strategically important. Then when marine diesels displaced coal, the oil fields reshaped the regions that were strategically important once again.
That sounds like an article
Thx!
Why is Haiti such a basket case compared to the Dominican Republic?
What would it take to bring it up to the same standard? - would it be doable for the international community to build a functioning state?
Tomas really compresses the story of Haitian independence (it's not the point of the article). France DID try very hard to hold on to Haiti, whose sugar production was incredibly valuable, but it was difficult both in an era of French Revolution (how does slavery get justified vis-a-vis the Rights of Man?) and what was essentially the first World War (French Revolutionary then later Napoleonic Wars). The war for independence was long and brutal, and as former slaves the Haitians found themselves in a position where NO ONE, including the US, was eager to see them free and successful. The peace treaty they finally signed with France was extremely punitive, requiring them to pay massive reparations to France for the loss of their sugar plantations. This had a crippling effect on Haiti's ability to establish itself economically.
As to the second part of your post, I doubt it.
Related to European shipping in the Caribbean, I'd love to see an article about white slavery, the Barbary coast, and "who were the real slavers?", i.e. throughout history, who captured people and sold them as slaves?
Defeating an enemy and using the captured people as slaves would be fairly normal, but who decided that people should be captured for profit?
I have a draft on Africa that deals with that
And what made black slavery in the Americas different (hint: generational), and why? (hint: malaria and sugar).
You are presumably implying that "black slavery" was advanced by the fact that there was a lot of money to be made from using slaves to produce valuable crops. Fair comment, but:-
1. Money doesn't know the colour of your skin.
2. It was the Africans in Africa who were capturing African slaves and selling them to whoever would buy them. It wasn't Japanese selling Chinese, or Arabs selling Levants, or Palestinians selling Persians. It was Africans selling Africans.
You're not following my hints. African slaves were valuable in a way that others weren't because the regions that were importing them were heavily infested with malaria-carrying mosquitos, and Africans had greater immunity to malaria due to the recessive sickle-cell anemia mutation.
So, if you have to pay X amount of money to import each slave, and one type of slave has a 50% chance of dying in the next 5 years and the other only a 10% chance of dying, which slave is cheaper and helps you profit more? See, money does know color of skin, in a way. Yes, it was Africans selling Africans. And Arabs frequently sold Africans as well, but the Africans sold directly to the Europeans, because the Europeans had lots that the sellers wanted, either money or goods, so the price was great. I'm not sure what your point about Africans selling Africans is.
Great article. Love reading this. Did the Bermuda Triangle thing exist in those days ?
No, it’s a pretty recent invention and it was debunked!
This is excellent - thank you for putting this together.
Extremely complicated and I don’t have perfect answers yet.
There are massive historical reasons. Haiti became independent much earlier (~1800), through a bloody slave revolution, got forced to pay reparations to France, which took well over one century… All this means massive financial burden with no pass down of governance or institutions, elite flight, and other very negative things that can leave a heavy burden.
For sure all of this had a serious impact, I just don’t know what share of the development gap it explains.
I loved this article. As a Jamaican, it was fun to read more about my country from a geopolitical perspective. An elder on a plane ride home once told me that Jamaica’s first Governor was Sir Henry Morgan, a pirate, and that our country has been unruly ever since. An enjoyable read!
I had not realized Morgan had been governor! (Not the 1st according to Wikipedia though, and not a full governor)
The Star Fort in Port Royal Jamaica….THAT SANK. Is an EXCELLENT PLACE TO START
Not sure what your point is. You think I should lead the article with that?