French Recognition and Independence Debt (1825)

On July 17, 1825, French King Charles X issued an ordinance recognizing Haitian independence in exchange for an indemnity of 150 million francs — to be paid to former colonists and enslavers as compensation for their 'lost property,' including the enslaved people who had freed themselves. Boyer accepted the terms to end Haiti's diplomatic isolation and lift the French naval blockade. The sum was later renegotiated to 90 million francs, but Haiti was forced to take out loans from French banks to make the first payment. The indemnity payments continued until 1947, costing Haiti an estimated $21 billion in today's dollars (2022 NYT analysis), and structurally impoverished the Haitian state for over a century. Scholars call this the 'double debt': Haiti was compelled to pay for its own freedom.