Africa and Haiti in the thought of Haitian and West African intellectuals from the Haitian revolution to the independence of the West African countries, 1804--1960s

Haiti is seen by many Caribbean inhabitants as the closest society to Africa culturally speaking. However, when one looks closely at what Haitian intellectuals have thought about Africa, it appears that their perspectives were diverse and contradictory. Most Haitian mulatto intellectuals vehemently rejected any socio-cultural link between Haiti and Africa. In addition, they were joined by black intellectuals in thinking that France was the example that all Haitians should follow. During the American occupation of Haiti (1916-1934), many Haitians changed their perspectives about Africa. They believed that Haitian culture was the result of African and European influences. But they insisted on the fact that the African element dominated their identity.;In West Africa, very few people were informed about the Haitian revolution. The only ones who knew about Haiti and its revolution were the Afro-American settlers in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Native West Africans learned about Haiti during and after the 1920's. However, very few referred to Haiti during their respective struggles for independence. After the independence of the West African countries West African intellectuals and leaders chose the Western societies as models, as the early Haitian intellectuals until the 1980s.