Haiti Colonial Records

Spanish Colonization (1492-1795)
The first Europeans in Haiti arrived in 1492 when Christopher Columbus arrived. Spain claimed the island and it was named La Española. Spain divided the island with France in 1697 but they were forced to cede the part of the island they had retained in 1795 in the Peace of Basel.

French Colonization (1600s-1804)
During the 17th century as Spanish settlers began to abandon the western part of La Española, French buccaneers and families began to settle in this region. Following hostilities, Spain and France divided the island in 1697, and France received the western third of the island and named it Saint-Domingue. After a series of slave revolts, Saint-Domingue gained its independence from France and was renamed Haiti in 1804.