Hayti; or, The black republic.

"Hayti; or, The Black Republic" by Sir Spenser St. John is a historical look at Haiti during a time of great change. Written in the late 1800s, the book shares the author's view of how the nation's history and culture faced challenges after gaining freedom. As someone who worked as a diplomat there, St. John talks about the problems caused by fighting and what he saw as a slide in society. The book starts by painting a picture of Haiti struggling with political and social problems and the book looks at how revolutions hurt the country, damaging cities like Port-au-Prince. St. John writes about the downswing in farming and trade, the loss of educated people leaving the country, and the increase in power of radical groups, leaving the reader to consider Haiti's battles with how it is ruled, its sense of self, and the impact of its past as a colony.