The Haitian Declaration of Independence was a rejection of France and to a certain degree of European racism and colonialism. It also affirmed, to quote from the book Slave Revolution in the Caribbean, a broad definition of the new country as a refuge for enslaved peoples of all kinds. So why is this little island so important that we would devote an entire episode to it? First, Haiti was the second free and independent nation-state in the Americas. It also had one of the most successful slave revolts ever. Haiti became the first modern nation to be governed by people of African descent, and they also foiled Napoleon's attempts to build a big New World empire. Of course, Haiti's history since its revolution has been marred by tragedy, a legacy of the loss of life that accompanied the revolution.