1915 - Haiti Observer Blog

Vilbrun Guillaume Sam was born on 4th March 1859. He was a cousin of Tiresias Simon Sam. Being the commander of Haiti's North Division gave him a lot of power that he led a rebellion against Francois C. Antoine Simon and Cincinnatus Leconte took over the presidency. He also headed the rebellion that overthrew Oreste Zamor. Sam became the president after president Joseph Davilmar Theodore resigned in February 1915.

Since Haiti had been faced with five unruly years, Sam was forced by Dr Rosalvo Bobo to campaign with rebels against his own government. Dr Rosalvo Bobo was against the financial assistance from U.S government.
Sam refused to act upon the command and instead treated his political opponent badly. He even ordered that 167 political prisoners be killed including the former president Zamor. This annoyed Haitians forcing them to rebel against him. When Sam realized the reactions of Haitians, he decided to hide from them.

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The US occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1934 was US response to near-anarchy in Haiti. It was during this period that US took complete control of the nation and ran the economy, installed puppet governments and controlled every aspect of the nation including police and military. Haitians did not like this and neither did US citizens and the US troops that were deployed in Haiti. Eventually, in 1934, United States withdrew its personnel from the Republic of Haiti.

THE PAST
Haiti earned its independence in 1804 from France but the following century was a period of utter chaos and dictatorship. From 1908 to 1915, at least 7 men became President of Haiti but only to meet a gruesome end. During the same century, US was busy expanding its influence in the Caribbean and by 1914, US was actually interfered with Dominica Republic that shared Hispaniola Island with Haiti. It was in 1914 that US opened the Panama Canal that was both militarily and strategically of high strategic value.

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Oreste Zamor is also known as Emmanuel Oreste Zamor. Zamor was born in 1861. He became the President of Haiti on February 1914 after Michel was over thrown. He was helped to take over by government officials and Cacos. The Cacos agreed to support him because he had promised to keep them on Government payroll. Emmanuel Oreste Zamor did not achieve much for Haiti because he spent more time with government officials and the cocas.

When he got into power, he failed to keep his promise to the Cacos. The leaders of Cacos, (Joseph Davilmar Theodore and Rosalvo Bobo) went to Port au Prince and asked Zamor to step out of the palace. Luckily the American military who wanted to intrude Haiti offered to help Zamor but Zamor rejected the offer. Emmanuel Oreste Zamor thought that he would be able to fight for the power on his own. But he was wrong because the two leaders of Cacos were too determined to have him step out. They ganged up with all the members of Cacos and got into the palace and forced Zamor out. He escaped and fled with his brother.

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Joseph Davilmar Theodore was born in 1847 in Ennery, which is in the district of Gonaives and the Artibonite department. He served in military of Haiti. He was against the leadership of Oreste Zamor. Therefore he organized with cacao farmers to rebel against President Oreste Zamor.

He succeeded in overthrowing president Zamor and he took over as the president on November 7, 1914. He took the oath on November 10, 1914. He convinced the U.S government to offer money to his government in exchange for custom control, railway and banks.

When he became president, he failed to pay the cocoa farmers as he had promised them. The cocoa farmers rebelled against him forcing him to resign on 22 February 1915. He was succeeded by Jean Vilbrun Guillaume Sam. He went to banish in Curacao but he later returned to Haiti under American protectorate.

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