The benefits of diplomatic recognition: Haitian abolitionism and Dominican sovereignty in the Atlantic world, 1822–1830.

In 1825, France recognized its former colony Haiti's independence, ending an over twenty-year struggle for the black republic to obtain legal recognition as a sovereign state but saddling it with a financial indemnity that crippled its economy. This article argues that France's formal recognition of the republic gave Haiti an important advantage to defend its sovereignty as a legitimate nation, as well as its political union with Santo Domingo in 1822. In doing so, the study brings together two bodies of literature that rarely speak to one another: nineteenth-century Haitian diplomatic history and works treating Dominicans' experience under Haitian rule. This article will focus on the aftermath of French recognition of Haitian independence that affected British commercial negotiations with Haiti. Finally, it will examine how Haiti's recognized independence forced the Spanish to enter diplomatic talks with the Haitians over sovereignty and rule in Santo Domingo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]