After formerly enslaved Africans freed themselves from French rule during the Haitian Revolution in 1804, they freed their compatriots under Spanish rule. In fact, when the independent movement first overthrew the Spanish crown, the eastern side of the island became the Republic of Spanish Haiti. Cautious of white ruling, several provinces, including Puerto Plata, Dajabon, and Santiago, requested Haitian President Jean Pierre Boyer to abolish slavery there and unify the island under one flag rather than join Gran Colombia. Across Hispaniola, Boyer wanted to strip white wealthy families of their properties and redistribute it to empower the people of Ayiti with land ownership, job security, and military protection. He was also adamant about unlearning the ways of their previous white masters, which stripped the people of their Indigenous tongues, foodways, customs, and forms of worship. Despite this history, the 22-year Unification of Hispaniola is often painted as a Haitian invasion, a tale used to defend antihaitianismo.
