Introduction

1804-2004: The Bicentennial of the Independence of Haiti

Annie international de la lutte contre I'esclavage et son abolition


In 1894, in preparation for the centennial of the independence of Haiti, the Centennial
Association began its activities with a conference on slavery (see historical text below). A
century later, in 1994, the United Nations Organization decided to honour the bicentennial of the
first Black Republic by declaring 2004 the year of the commemoration of the struggle against,
and the abolition of, slavery. The oldest library in Haiti, one of the richest and most significant
sources of material on slavery in the French colonial period, has been preparing for the event
since 2001. UNESCO has generously donated the funds necessary to support the transferral of
archival material concerning slavery into digital format for presentation to a larger public either in
Haiti or globally, on the internet.