Despite the Haitian victory, France refused to recognize the newly independent country's sovereignty until 1825, in exchange for 150 million gold francs. This fee demanded as retribution for the "lost property,"—slaves, land, equipment, etc.—of the former colonialists, was later reduced to 90  million. Haiti agreed to pay the price to lift a crippling embargo imposed by France, Britain, and the United States— but to do so, the Haitian government had to take out high-interest loans. The debt was not repaid in full until 1947.