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Subject: The 1st Black Nation in the Free World and Voyage to Bouyer Voyage to America
When you hear the word Haiti what do you think of?War?Poverty? Social unrest?Disease?Sickness? or some other term?
Today's Haiti is far different than what it was back in the late 1700's.Haiti was actually the name of the entire island of Hispaniola before Columbus.It was also the name of the entire island that is now the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Haiti was "The jewel of the Caribbean".It was lush, green, and very profitable.When Spain lost interest in the island France began to set her sites on it more and more.French Buccaneers set up camp on the west side of the island as a way to interrupt trade between Spain and her other colonies throughout the Caribbean.The term buccaneer is derived from an Arawak word buccan, a wooden frame for smoking meat, hence the French word boucane and the name boucanier for French hunters who used such frames to smoke meat from feral cattle and pigs on Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic). The pirates became so strong that they even sailed to the mainland of Spanish America and took over entire cities.This explains how our name Bouyer/Bouier made it's way from France, to the Caribbean, and on to South America and the Pacific.
The Haitian Revolution (1791–1804) was quoted as being"the only successful slave revolt in history."Why?It established Haiti as the first republic ruled by blacks in The New World.Also, this was the only revolt to permanently abolish slavery. PERMANENTLY!!!!!!
So, why then did the Bouyer's leave now that they were literally in charge of the country?DIVISION within the ranks.
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Subject: Our History Begins.............................
When we talk about family and our history we have to remember that circumstances and situations help mold us into who we are and into who we can become.We can always talk about what we would or should do in circumstances BUT until we are in those situations we can only speculate.
Let's talk a little on how the family got to Hispanola (abridged-short version):
The Island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic/Haiti) was initially occupied by Arawak Indians (Taino-think Puerto Rican Indians).The Indians called the island Ayiti (Haiti).When Columbus landed on the island in 1492 he renamed and reclaimed it for Spain.Christoper Columbus' first settlement was in what is now Môle Saint-Nicolas, Haiti.The next settlement was founded in 1496 by Christopher's brother Batholomew Columbus (a map maker) in what is now Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The Europeans brought disease to the island.Their arrival wiped out the Indian population, but not the African.Those who were left fled to the neighbor islands of Puerto Rico on the East and Cuba on the West.
All of Europe was in this great land race. Once they realized the land was round and not flat they began to spread out for conquest.Spain eventually lost their interest in the island for other points in the new world to conquer for their crown.
The French began to lurk more around the Spanish colonies to hijack their ships full of gold and goods.Actually, you've probably seen this in movies such as "The Pirates of the Caribbean."It got so bad that the king of Spain made the people move off the coastlines and closer to the center which was actually a bad move.It gave the pirates access to the coasts and greater ability to hijack ships and halt trade.
Eventually the French began to colonize the island and created their own colony, Saint Dominigue.It became the wealthiest part of the island, in the Caribbean and the world.
How did they do it??????Did they use slaves?Well, yes they did, BUT not all Africans on the island were slaves.
In 1494, The first Africans arrive in Hispaniola with Christopher Columbus. They were free people. African slaves were first
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