Bertrand d - Haiti Observer Blog

The city of Cap-Haitian has a reach history, specially during the French colonization. This small city has its name changed at least four times. It as founded in 1670 by Bertrand d'Ogeron who saw the great opportunity at the time based on its geographic location. However, as the region started growing as an economic force for France, the city called at this time Cap-Francais became a major port to ship sugar, coffee, cotton and indigo. The merchants began to display their wealth and Cap-Francais acquired the name'Paris of the Antilles.'

The great wealth the city well know to be generating at the time was produced on the back of the African slaves who had replaced the indigenous peoples who had migrated from present-day Central and South America in the 16th century. Due to the colonization and introduction of new infectious diseases, as well as poor treatment received by the colonizers, the indigenous population rapidly declined.

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