1770–1788: (The Decaying Urban Centers and Natural Warnings): Despite being the “capital of the richest country on the face of the globe,” the cities of Sain…

1770–1788: (The Decaying Urban Centers and Natural Warnings): Despite being the “capital of the richest country on the face of the globe,” the cities of Saint-Domingue were often described as “noisome and fetid”. Streets in Cap Français were likened to “common sewers,” while Port-au-Prince was described as a chaotic mass of “wooden barracks” resembling a “Tartar camp”. Natural disasters frequently punctuated this era, including a fire that leveled Cap Français in 1734 and a fearful earthquake on June 3, 1770, that left over 200 dead in the streets of Port-au-Prince. By 1788, visitors noted the streets were huge “avenues of mud,” and movement became nearly impossible after rain. These conditions led sensitive observers to feel the atmosphere was “charged with presentiments of calamity”.