[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1204 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1204

 Recognizing the goals and ideals of Flag Day in the Republic of Haiti.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 15, 2008

 Ms. Clarke submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

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                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the goals and ideals of Flag Day in the Republic of Haiti.

Whereas in 1801, Toussaint Louverture took over French representatives in the 
        colony of St. Dominique (Haiti);
Whereas France retaliated with an armada and 22,000 soldiers and sought to 
        return the colony to France from Toussaint Louverture and his Black 
        followers;
Whereas by January 1802, French battleships were anchored in all major ports of 
        St. Dominique (Haiti), and France ordered the resisting force to 
        surrender;
Whereas facing a well-armed and organized French army, the resisting force 
        retreated to the mountains and prepared for guerilla warfare;
Whereas during many confrontations between the French and the resisting force, 
        it was observed that both sides had the same flag;
Whereas for the people of the colony, the French tricolor flag represented the 
        three social groups prevailing in the colony: blue for the Blacks, white 
        for the Whites, and red for the Mulattoes;
Whereas on May 18, 1803, Jean-Jacques Dessalines created the first unofficial 
        Haitian flag by ripping the white out of the French flag, which he 
        believed symbolized White oppression, and had a women named Katrine Flon 
        sew the blue and red flag;
Whereas on January 1, 1804, Haiti declared its independence from France to 
        become the world's first Black republic and the second democracy after 
        the United States;
Whereas on that day, the Haitian flag was modified again by organizing the blue 
        and red bands horizontally, with the blue band on top of the red band, 
        and the modified flag represented the first flag of the independent 
        Republic of Haiti;
Whereas in 1807, the Haitian flag underwent its first changes when Henry 
        Christophe, the leader of the Northern Kingdom, adopted the flag of 
        Dessalines but substituted a black band for the blue band;
Whereas in the southern and western part of the country, Alexandre Petion, 
        president in the south, went back to the blue and red of the flag of 
        1804, but placed the blue and red bands horizontally and added a white 
        squared portion that included the country arms and the famous phrase 
        ``L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE'', meaning that through unity we find strength;
Whereas the white squared portion of that flag also included cannons and rifles 
        (representing defense of the country), an erect royal palm tree 
        (representing a proud Haitian keeping his head high looking up to the 
        sky), and a Phrygian bonnet on top of the palm tree (symbolizing freedom 
        in ancient Greece);
Whereas the blue and red flag continued to wave until 1965 when Francois 
        Duvalier suddenly ordered the return to Henri Christophe's flag, with 
        black and red bands placed vertically and the arms of the Haitian 
        republic in the middle;
Whereas the Haitian constitution of 1987 describes the new flag as follows: (1) 
        two (2) equal-sized horizontal bands: a blue one on top and a red one 
        underneath; (2) the coat of arms of the Republic shall be placed in the 
        center on a white square; and (3) the coat of arms of the Republic will 
        be a Palm tree surmounted by the liberty cap and under the palms a 
        trophy with the legend: In Union there is Strength;
Whereas May 18th is Flag Day in Haiti, the most celebrated holiday in Republic;
Whereas Flag Day is celebrated by the people of Haiti, and throughout its 
        diaspora, with great fanfare on the grounds of the national palace in 
        Haiti; and
Whereas in the United States and throughout the world, Flag Day in Haiti is 
        observed by people of Haitian descent, for whom the Haitian flag is 
        indisputably a symbol of general pride with origins tightly linked to a 
        history of struggle for freedom: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the goals 
and ideals of Flag Day in the Republic of Haiti and encourages the 
people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate 
ceremonies, celebrations, and activities.
                                 <all>