First United Methodist Church of Winchester

Haiti is located about 750 miles southeast of Florida and slightly to the east of Cuba. It is an independent Caribbean nation. The history of Haiti and that of the United States have been intertwined since the 1900’s. Before that time, Haiti was a French colony. Haiti broke away from France in the only successful slave rebellion which ended in 1803. French is still the official language, but most people speak Haitian Creole which is a combination of various languages. The United States sent Marines to occupy the country from 1915-1937. After the Marines left, the nation became a democracy. Some of the elected leaders failed to step down when their terms expired including the infamous “Papa Doc” and his son “Baby Doc”. The United States intervened once again in 1996 and 2004 to help with the transition of power as the terms of elected leaders expired. Since 2004 the United Nations has been present to ensure the stability of this nation. Haiti enjoyed a period of relative calm prior to the earthquake. The United Methodist Commission on Relief has been in Haiti for many years.