Friday, May 24, 2013

Some Answers to Some Questions, Well An Answer to One Question Really...

U.S. Intervention in Haiti class work, which we did today (5/23/13).

#1 How have Haitians responded to the presence of U.S. Marines in their country?

The Haitians greatly despised the United States for their ongoing presence in their country. Charlemagne Peralte sent letters in 1915 criticizing the presence of the U.S. Marines in Haiti and started people in a resistance movement. He said that "Foe four years the [American] Occupation has been insulting us constantly. Each morning it brings us a new offense. The people are poor and the Occupation still oppresses us with taxes. It spreads fires and forbids us to rebuild wooden houses under the pretext of keeping the city beautiful." He is speaking for all the Haitians and encouraging them to rise up against America. The Americans are repressing them and all their actions, not letting them do anything that they want to do. The Haitians hate this and really don't like it. America won't even let then rebuild houses to keep their country pretty, which isn't fair to the Haitians. Building houses won't do anything, it's not like they are asking permission to run a rebellion. And because America won't let the Haitians do anything like that, they are going to rebel and rise up because they hate America for restricting them so much and want their freedom. At the end of Peralte's letter he says, "Die for your country. Long live Independence! Long live the Union! Long live the just war! Down with the Americans!" Which to me encompasses the whole feeling that the Haitians had toward the Americans. They were angry, downtrodden, and wanting of freedom. To get that they had to rebel and rise up, which is what Peralte is influencing. Overall the Haitians really hated the Americans for being in their country and repressing them in every way.

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