Haiti is in the Caribbean, part of the Island of Hispaniola, the western portion, sharing the other side with the Dominican Republic. Due to it being a colony of France for many years, the national languages are Haitian Creole and French. As of 2010, Haiti had a population of almost 10 million people.

On this day November 12th, in 1915, The United States began its occupation of Haiti to help its infrastructure and economy. The United States Navy and Army helped to maintain peace by squashing out a few small rebellions. Haiti’s loans were paid off by the American government and refinanced by U.S. banks.

Athough the U.S. improved the infrastructure, some criticized the occupation, saying they turned the law force, the Garde, into violent aggressors. In 1934 American troops pulled out of Haiti. After the U.S. left, the Duvalier family would take over for years as hereditary dictators until the 1990’s. There is still much political strife in Haiti, especially since the earthquake in 2010 which shook the country to its core.