I LOVE to learn. Never stop learning! I googled the Haitian Constitution to read it and found it online. I found these most interesting:

• ARTICLE 20: The death penalty is abolished in all cases.
  
• ARTICLE 31-2: The police authorities must be notified in advance of assemblies outdoors in public places. 
  
• ARTICLE 32-1: Education is the responsibility of the State and its territorial divisions. They must make schooling available to all, free of charge, and ensure that public and private sector teachers are properly trained.
  
• ARTICLE 32-10: Teachers are entitled to a fair salary.
  
• ARTICLE 41-1:  No Haitian needs a visa to leave or return to the country.

Based on things I've HEARD (of course hearsay isn't always the truth), these few articles are not being followed. What do you think? Do you think that everytime there's a large gathering the police are notified? or that everyone has access to FREE school? Teachers getting paid/paid fairly? 

There's no need to go on and on about what happened on Jan. 12, 2010. The news did enough of that and will remind everyone today about how Haiti is the "poorest nation in the western hemisphere," about cholera outbreaks and nothing but sadness and poverty. Whatever your impression of Haiti is, I hope it's not that wrong one.

Not ignoring the fact that there is so much sadness attached to the 2 year anniversary of the earthquake, I am going to share some Haitian history with you that I recently learned of (from the Proud Haitian App - see my Haitian Pride blog category on the right for App info).

Although I visited the Citadelle only 2 weeks ago, I didn't know all of this great history Haiti has. {Thanks Proud Haitian App for the history info + a lot more history I, and many others, never knew}.

Toussaint Louverture
Though born a slave in Saint Dominique, Toussaint learned of Africa from his father, who had been born a free man there.

He learned that he was more than a slave, that he was a man with brains and dignity.

Toussaint took full advantage of this, reading every book he could get his hands on. He particularly admired the writings of the French Enlightenment philosophers, who spoke of individual rights and equality.

DURING THE NIGHT of August 22, 1791, a wave of fire engulfed the French West Indies colony of St. Domingue (present-day Haiti), as hundreds of thousands of slaves set fire to plantations, torched cities, and massacred a terrified white population. The slave rebellion that started that night--the most successful slave rebellion in history--lasted 12 long years. It culminated in the founding of the second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere and its first black-governed republic. But more than this, the Haitian Revolution was a turning point in history, the repercussions of which extended far beyond the small island nation.

Georges Biassou was an early leader of the 1791 with Jean François and Jeannot, were prophesied to lead the revolution. by the vodoo priest, Dutty Boukman, a Jamaican born vodoo priest. 

Thomson, Jim, The Haitian Revolution and the Forging of America. The History Teacher 34.1 (2000): 19 pars. 15 May 2011.

L 'Ouverture drove out the Spaniards and the British invaders who threatened the colony restored stability and prosperity to renew revenues for the island.

By 1803 Napoleon was ready to get Haiti off his back: he and Toussaint agreed to terms of peace. Napoleon agreed to recognize Haitian independence and Toussaint the French invited Toussaint to come to a negotiating meeting will full safe conduct. Betrayed by the French he was captured, imprisoned.

In 1803 Toussaint died in prison, but others carried on the fight for freedom(Toussaint Breda) Toussaint l'Ouverture (the one who finds an opening), a former slave lead the revolt.

Jean-Jacques Dessalines -  Born Jean-Jacques Duclos (20 September 1758 – 17 October 1806), long an ally and general of Toussaint Louverture, brilliant strategist and soldier.

Henri Christophe,  (6 October 1767 – 8 October 1820)long an ally and general of Toussaint Louverture, brilliant strategist and soldier.

100k slaves and 24k of the 40k plantation owners were murdered.  

In its attempt to retake the colony, France had lost more than 50k soldiers, including 18 generals.

For emancipation and independence, former slaves proclaimed the independence of Saint-Domingue on 1 January 1804.

In July 1825, King Charles X of France sent a fleet of 14 vessels and thousands of troops to reconquer the island. Under pressure, President Boyer agreed to a treaty by which France formally recognized the independence of the nation in exchange for a payment of 150 million francs (reduced to 90 million in 1838) – an indemnity for profits lost from the slave trade.