Haiti’s history in our blind spot

Re “The West owes a centuries-old debt to Haiti,” Opinion, Oct. 10

I was unaware of much of this history laid out by Howard French — the enslaved Haitians’ struggle for independence from major colonial powers, and the story behind the Louisiana Purchase, leading to an expansion of cotton cultivation and slavery in the United States.

While the harsh treatment recently of Haitian refugees by the U.S. Border Patrol was the counterpoint to the author’s historical perspective, I’m struck by the importance of students learning and understanding this history.

Opponents of ethnic studies, are you listening? Michael Sanders

Rossmoor

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French distorts history when he implies almost a one-to-one correspondence between the successful revolution of Haitian slaves and Napoleon’s decision to sell the Louisiana territory.

It is true that other colonial powers in Europe joined forces with France in the hopes of reversing the Haitian revolution. The Haitians fought successfully for 12 years to preserve their country as well as their freedom from slavery.

Ironically, France was in a somewhat analogous position to that of Haiti. European monarchies were even more eager to erase the precedent of the overthrow of the French monarchy than they were to undo the precedent of a successful slave rebellion.

The nascent French Republic was in an almost continuous state of war with European powers, and Napoleon’s ending of the republic by declaring himself emperor failed to mollify his enemies.

It is true that France’s loss of Haiti was a draining defeat, but the primary reason for Napoleon’s willingness to sell Louisiana was his desperate need for funds to defend France. Cyril Barnert

Los Angeles