A Proslavery Foreign Policy: Haitian-American Relations during the Early Republic

While the influence of racial policy has long been a factor in American foreign policy, one particularly evident example is U.S. relations with Haiti. The troubled relationship began under George Washington, who authorized the dispatch of arms and ammunition to help the French planters of Saint Dominique, present day Haiti, suppress the black rebellion. Washington's support for the defense of slavery in this regard, proved to be important precedent in the formulation of a proslavery policy ...