Islands of Haiti 2.1 HAITI
Which historic treaty, signed in 1697, officially recognized French sovereignty over the western part of Santo Domingo, including the important base of the Île de la Tortue ?
25% of players answered correctly.
THE CORRECT ANSWER: The Treaty of Ryswick
The Treaty of Ryswick, signed on September 20, 1697, marks a decisive turning point in the history of the West Indies and the future Haitian nation. Through this agreement, Spain officially recognizes France's possession of the western part of the island of Hispaniola, which it has in fact occupied for several decades. Île de la Tortue, which served as an anchor point for French buccaneers and buccaneers, then became the pivot of this new colony. This treaty ended the hostilities of the War of the League of Augsburg in Europe and stabilized the colonial borders. For France, it was the beginning of the economic growth of Santo Domingo, which would become the “Pearl of the Antilles”. The legal recognition of these island territories allowed the establishment of a structured colonial administration, gradually replacing the anarchy of the pirates with a rigorous and lucrative plantation system, but based on slavery.