Also known as: Corvée, Corvee, Forced labor under the occupation, Occupation corvée
Last updated: April 23, 2026
The United States Occupation of Haiti, 1915-1934 shows that occupation officials revived an older Haitian road-labor law and used it to conscript peasants into work gangs. The occupation valued roads as both military infrastructure and proof of modernization, but the labor regime quickly became notorious for abuse. Schmidt's extracted text is especially important here: in some places corvée gangs were roped together, and investigations later described a "reign of terror" around enforcement.
Benoît Batraville
Charlemagne Masséna Péralte
The corvée was among the occupation abuses Bellegarde documented and condemned as incompatible with Haitian dignity and sovereignty
Corvee Forced Labor
The corvée system was one of the central grievances the Union Patriotique pressed before the Senate inquiry.
His presidency presided over the corvée system and the occupation's labor extraction apparatus as part of the 'authoritarian uplift' program.
The corvée forced labor system was institutionalized under his presidency and became a major trigger for the Caco revolt
His protest was part of the broader anti-occupation political movement that documented the corveé system, economic extraction, and loss of sovereignty imposed under U.S. rule.
Smedley Butler
The corveé system built under the occupation was part of the institutional inheritance Vincent received and managed during the transition to post-occupation Haitian governance.
The corvée and its abuses were among the occupation scandals that had fueled Haitian resistance — the Forbes Commission had to address the legacy of forced labor practices as part of managing the occupation's retreat.
Corvée forced labor was among the occupation grievances driving the protest movement
Caco Revolt 1918
The corvée regime was among the occupation abuses the commission investigated
Corvee Forced Labor
Us Occupation Haiti
Corvee Forced Labor
Corvee Forced Labor
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"Corvee Forced Labor." Rasin.ai, 2026. https://rasin.ai/connections/concepts/corvee-forced-labor. Accessed 2026-05-05.