On this day in 1822, Haiti was the first country to recognize the Greek War of Independence and wish Greece victory in its fight for freedom against the Ottoman Empire.
Having meager resources following the 400-year Ottoman occupation, Greece sought support from foreign countries to continue its pursuit for freedom. Adamantios Korais, a significant historical Greek politician and academic, solicited financial and military support from the small Caribbean nation in a friendly letter to the then-President of Haiti, Jean Pierre Boyer.
Jean- pierre Boyer
In the letter, Korais commended the bravery and perseverance of the Haitian slaves who fought for freedom and liberated themselves against their occupiers, the French.
In return, the Haitian president wrote a letter sharing mutual admiration for the ancient Greek ideals of freedom and democracy and overall support for Greek independence, but declined to donate funds as a result of residual economic ruin and massive debts owed to France.
Although the Great Powers were the first to acknowledge Greece’s autonomy by signing the Treaty of London in 1827, President Boyer’s letter of support represented the first instance of Greece being treated as an independent state.
Greece wouldn’t be internationally recognized as an independent state until the signing of the London Protocol on February 3, 1830.
To this day, Greece and Haiti remain tight allies. When a 7.1 magnitude earthquake wreaked havoc on the island nation in 2010, Greece was among the first of nations to send aid, including over 100,000 euros, generous rescue forces, and several charities which would continue throughout the next decade to collect funds for the country in wake of the disaster.
