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Haitian History and Culture a Selection of Online Resources internet resources Marjorie Charlot Haitian history and culture A selection of online resources hen searching for and examining the The site contains thousands of videos—many Wmany online resources available regard- from reputable, reliable sources such as ing Haitian history, it is critical to recognize PBS—on Haiti’s architecture, food, history, the various names that present-day Haiti has language, and music, among other aspects had in the past, including Hispaniola, Saint- of Haitian life, history, and culture, which Domingue, and Ayiti, in order to clarify what educators can use in their teaching. historical events occurred at what time. Of the numerous free websites available It is similarly critical to use appropriate to assist the study of Haitian history and cul- keywords. For example, for information re- ture, the following represent a small selection garding the era of Spanish colonization from chosen because they are user friendly and 1492 to 1679, researchers can use the term packed with data that can direct researchers Hispaniola, although such will return results to other resourceful websites. referring to not only present-day Haiti, but also the present-day Dominican Republic, since Architecture both countries form the island once known as • Citadelle Laferrière website. Cita- Hispaniola. The history of native populations delle Laferrière, a mountaintop fortress in such as the Arawaks, including the Taino, northern Haiti, is a major symbol of Haitian and the Caribs can also be found using the pride, determination, and freedom. Dedicated term Ayiti, although some data are liable to solely to the Citadelle’s history, the website appear in Haitian Creole. Researchers should offers a particularly fascinating account of use Saint-Domingue if they seek information the construction of the architectural wonder on the history of that island during the French and an image gallery. Access: http://www. occupation and colonial period from 1625 to citadellelaferriere.com/. 1804; however, they need to be aware of the • Citadelle Laferrière. This YouTube term’s various spellings and the fact that some video offers a virtual tour of Citadelle Laferri- writers use Santo Domingo instead. Lastly, ère, in which viewers can observe the exterior when searching for individuals of Haitian and interior of the fortress, along with the Sans- descent, researchers should know that such Souci Palace in the town of Milot. Although the individuals might be misclassified as being video offers no host, none is necessary, for the of another ethnicity or from another culture. fortress speaks for itself. The video occasional- A particularly useful source for historical ly presents historical facts on the screen, and research is YouTube. It is not only excel- lent for individual researchers, but also an excellent tool for the classroom. Other than Marjorie Charlot is assistant librarian at Touro College music, YouTube offers many resources such and reference assistant at Long Island University, email: [email protected] as historical documentaries, programs, and biographical videos on notable individuals. © 2017 Marjorie Charlot C&RL News April 2017 220 the captions are no longer than two or three the Library of Congress started publishing sentences. The video was filmed by Harold books on countries worldwide as part of the Estime and Rene Durocher, edited by Harold Country Studies/Area Handbook Series. Once F. Estime, and set to Beethoven’s “Moonlight available to the public in hard copy only, Sonata.” Access: https://www.youtube.com the series has now been digitalized and is /watch?v=j0h1CeqIAIo. accessible online. The Library of Congress • Haiti’s Gingerbread Houses. TIME’s maintains a collection of 80 of the books on website includes a slideshow of 11 images its website. The volume on Haiti is titled Do- taken by William Daniels of Haiti’s architec- minican Republic and Haiti: Country Stud- tural treasures, the Gingerbread Houses, with ies, which gives a profile of both countries captions that state the age of each structure of Hispaniola. Access: https://www.loc.gov and its location, as well as photographs of /item/2001023524/. the interiors. Access: http://content.time.com /time/photogallery/0,29307,2004148,00.html. History • The Digital Library of the Caribbean. Blogs Founded in 2004, this website offers resourc- • Kreyolicious. This blog offers insights es about the Caribbean and circum-Caribbean into Haiti’s past and present by showing from archives, libraries, and private collec- visitors images of Haitian clothing, Haitian tions. Although an open digital library, to home designs, and renowned Haitians. It access some features, users need to become also offers resources on Haitian authors members by registering for a free MydLoc and artists of various genres. Access: http:// account. Access: http://www.dloc.com/dloc. kreyolicious.com/. • Haiti: Table by Bob Corbett. In this section of Bob Corbett’s website, hosted by Country profile: Quick facts and Webster University, a table of contents lists demographics various resources and essays by several au- • CIA World Factbook. Provided in the thors on a range of topics. Professor emeritus Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) library sec- of philosophy at Webster, Corbett has as- tion of its website, the CIA World Factbook is sembled countless materials for researchers part of the public domain, may be used for investigating the history of Haiti, including free, and offers an abundance of statistical and 110 book reviews and arts, music, and dance factual data about countries worldwide, in- resources. Access: http://faculty.webster.edu cluding about their populations, key historical /corbetre/haiti/haiti.html. events, and national flags. Users need only to • Latin American Network Informa- click on the region or continent and select the tion Center. Launched in 1992, the Latin country of interest. Access: https://www.cia. American Network Information Center is gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/. part of the Lozano Long Institute of Latin • Haiti Country Profile. The website of American Studies and Benson Latin American BBC News offers quick facts about Haiti and Collection at the University of Texas-Austin. even a profile of former leaders President The site provides an interactive map of the Michel Martelly and Prime Minister Laurent regions of Latin America and the Caribbean Lamothe. It also provides a general timeline that are searchable by clicking. A search for of major disasters, starting with the earth- “Haiti” will return roughly 455 items. The site quake that devastated Port-au-Prince in 1770 also provides materials on a range of subjects, and ending with the 2011 cholera outbreak. and some resources link to other websites. Access: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas Access: http://lanic.utexas.edu/. /country_profiles/1202772.stm#facts. • World History Archives. Created by • Library of Congress. During the 1940s Hartford Web Publishing, this website “offers and 1950s, the Federal Research Division of documents to support the study of world his- April 2017 221 C&RL News tory from a working-class and non-Eurocentric tions. It explains how and why the language perspective.”1 The site is set up into five catego- was developed. Access: http://lmp.ucla.edu ries: the World, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, /Profile.aspx?menu=004&LangID=2. Africa, and Europe. Users simply select the region and country of choice. The section on Timelines Haiti is titled “Haiti Archives” and includes eight • Europe and Saint-Domingue. This listings. Access: http://www.hartford-hwp.com interactive timeline by the Choices Program, /archives/. a nonprofit organization based at Brown University, contains images rarely seen and Immigrants guides visitors through the early history of • The African-American Migration Saint-Domingue and the involvement and im- Experience. Presented by the Schomburg pact of France and North America in Haitian Center for Research in Black Culture, this history both before and after the revolution. website hosts an index of information on Among other things, it provides a video on various sorts of migration and includes two 1794, when slavery was abolished in Haiti. migration sections about Haitians: “Haitian Access: http://www.choices.edu/resources Immigration: 18th and 19th Centuries” and /activities/haiti/timeline.html. “Haitian Immigration: 20th Century.” It not • History of Haiti, 1492–1805. Assem- only offers resources on Haitian migration bled by Kona Shen at Brown University, this to New Orleans, Louisiana, but also shows website offers a timeline of major historical the impact that Haitian immigrants have periods, beginning with 1492, when Christo- had on U.S. history. Users can also browse pher Columbus landed on Hispaniola, and images, maps, and digitized historical docu- continuing on to 1697, when Spain handed ments. Access: http://www.inmotionaame.org over the western third of the island to France /migrations/index.cfm. with the Treaty of Ryswick. The timeline ends in 1805, a year after Haiti’s independence. Language The timeline also offers images of key figures, • Alfabè Creole (Creole alphabet). A maps, and battle scenes, among other things. collaboration between Massachusetts Institute Access: http://library.brown.edu/haitihistory/. of Technology Linguistic Professor Michel De- • U.S.–Haiti (1804–2005). Run by the Graff and recognized Creole advocate Manda- Center for Grassroots Oversight, funded by ly Louis-Charles, this two-part video features the
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