1915–1918: (The Garoute Family and the Origins of Women’s Political Resistance — Ghislaine Born in 1918 the Same Year Wilson Dissolved the Haitian National A…

1915–1918: (The Garoute Family and the Origins of Women’s Political Resistance — Ghislaine Born in 1918 the Same Year Wilson Dissolved the Haitian National Assembly Part of the “Occupation Generation” Who Grew Up Under Foreign Rule, Her Grandmère Alice Telling and Retelling Stories of the Family’s Resistance Including How She Sent a Letter to Her Childhood Comrade Louis Borno Minister of Foreign Affairs Encouraging Him to Nominate Her Husband Auguste Garoute for the Tribunal de Cassation, Grandpère Auguste and “Monsieur Cabeche” Being the Only Two Representatives Who Refused to Sign the Haitian-American Treaty of September 16 1915, Grandmère Alice’s Salon Where Women Offered Tea Read Books Put on Small Plays and Discussed How to Remove the Foreigners — These Women Would Later Found the LFAS in 1935): Born in 1918, the same year that Wilson dissolved the Haitian national assembly and rewrote the constitution, Ghislaine was among the many young people known as the “occupation generation” who grew up under foreign rule. Her maternal grandparents were particularly unnerved by the occupation. Grandmère Alice told and retold the stories of their family’s decisions to resist. Her favorite story showcased her influence on the men around her: several months before the invasion, she sent a letter to her childhood comrade Louis Borno, minister of foreign affairs and justice and future president (1922–30), strongly encouraging him to nominate her husband, Auguste Garoute, for the Tribunal de Cassation. Auguste was appointed, and within months was petitioned to sign the Haitian-American treaty of September 16, 1915. Grandpère Auguste and “Monsieur Cabeche” were the only two representatives who refused to sign the protectorate. Ghislaine sat quietly nearby while Grandmère Alice shared the story with her friends as she offered them tea, read books, put on small plays, and discussed how to remove the foreigners. These women would later lead antioccupation protests planned in Grandmère Alice’s salon, and by the end of the occupation, in 1935, Alice Garoute and some of her guests would found the LFAS. The clanking of teacups and saucers at her grandmother’s gatherings became a natural accompaniment to the strange beings’ clamoring — an example of the tactics Haitian women used to influence governance long before an official women’s movement was established.