December 6, 1929, The United States Marine Corps had been
occupying Haiti to protect private U.S. corporate interests for nearly 15 years
and an increasingly restless population had declared a national general strike,
in response the U.S. and the figurehead government declared martial law.
On December 6 protesters began marching on the port of Les
Cayes peacefully. They were protesting the economic conditions of the nation
and Les Cayes is the largest port where shipments of sugar cane and tobacco
are shipped. The protestors were reported to be requesting the release of three
protest organizers and strike leaders. Marines who were standing guard on the
outside of the city had machine guns and as the large crowd advanced made requests,
but the Haitians threw rocks and cut threw the sugar cane fields. This apparently
unsettled and panicked the marines and they fired into the crowd killing 22 and
wounding over 50. In response to international protests, U.S. Secretary of State
Henry L. Stimson defended the marines stating the patrols showed, “great forbearance
and judgment.”
President Hoover ordered 500 more marines to Haiti the same
day and two naval warships. The senate also passed a $500,000 appropriation to study
the situation and determine what was causing the “Rebellious attacks and
attitude,” of the Haitian people.
