Terry In Haiti: Fort Jacque

Haiti was first a Spanish colony, but in 1697 it was ceded to France. During the 18th Century, sugar plantations slowly began to spring up, and African slaves were brought to Haiti to do the backbreaking work of making sugar. Living conditions were so harsh that additional slaves were brought just to replace those who died. During the middle part of the 18th Century 10-15,000 slaves were brought each year as the plantations underwent a period of rapid expansion. By 1790, there were three quarters of a million slaves in Haiti. That year marked a turning point. Several incidents of extreme cruelty caused an uprising of slave anger, and the beginning of the French Revolution caused some slave leaders to believe that they were French citizens, and the black rebellion began. For 14 years the battles raged against the French armies, with the British sometimes with them and sometimes against them. In 1804, the first black republic in the world raised its flag.

To protect themselves from attack that year, 2 forts were built high in the mountains, one facing north to the Port au Prince basin, the other facing south to the ocean. The north-facing fort was named Fort Jacque, the other Fort Christophe. Yesterday Gene, Jan and I drove up the mountain through Petionville, past the Baptist Mission, to Fort Jacque. The mountain roads are narrow, congested and in spots very rough, but with breathtaking views around every corner. And Fort Jacque, an impregnable fortress with its own huge cistern, living quarters, armory, even an underground tunnel to the other fort a half mile away, was impressive in every way. It was manned for a number of years after it was built, but neither fort was ever needed to defend the country. After the visit to Fort Jacque, we went to the mountain village of Kenskoff, then to an overlook where we had a picnic. A lovely cool day after the heat and noise of the city.

Jan with a guide at a French cannon. There is a certain satisfying irony in the fact that there are cannon in the fort from all three colonial empires that were involved in Haiti: France, Spain and England.