1934–1957: (The Struggle for a Second Independence): Following the end of the occupation, this twenty-three-year period is framed as a quest for a “Second In…

1934–1957: (The Struggle for a Second Independence): Following the end of the occupation, this twenty-three-year period is framed as a quest for a “Second Independence”. The text follows the efforts of the Haitian government and people to rebuild national institutions and redefine their identity after nearly two decades of foreign control. It chronicles the rise of new political movements and the persistent challenges of economic self-sufficiency. The era is marked by a tension between the desire for democratic progress and the re-emergence of autocratic tendencies. This chapter provides the political backdrop for the eventual rise of the Duvalier regime.