The Haitian Flag

The national flag of Haiti with the coat of arms in the center

“L'Union Fait La Force” — since 18 May 1803

The blue-and-red flag is one of the greatest symbols of Haitian identity and pride. But its story is long: it changed several times since independence, between blue-red and black-red, depending on who was leading the country. Here is how the flag evolved.

How the flag evolved

18 May 1803 — Arcahaie

The flag is born

By tradition, at the Congress of Arcahaie, Dessalines tore the white out of the French flag and Catherine Flon sewed the blue and red together. Its first form was vertical.

blue–red · vertical
1804–1806 — Independence & Empire

Black and red

At independence (1 January 1804) the flag became horizontal, blue over red. In 1805, Emperor Dessalines changed the blue to black and made it vertical.

black–red · vertical
1806–1820 — A divided country

The Republic and the arms

Haiti split in two. In the south, Pétion restored the horizontal blue-red and added the coat of arms with the motto “L'Union Fait La Force.” In the north, Christophe kept black-red.

blue–red + arms
1820 — Reunification

One Haiti again

Boyer reunified the country after Christophe's death; the horizontal blue-red flag became the flag of the whole nation.

blue–red · horizontal
1964–1986 — Duvalier

The dictatorship's change

Duvalier replaced the blue with black — the flag became black-red and vertical, and he removed the liberty cap from the coat of arms.

black–red · vertical
February 1986 — Today

The flag returns

After Duvalier fell, the people restored the blue-red flag — with the liberty cap back in the coat of arms. The 1987 Constitution confirmed it.

blue–red + arms

The Coat of Arms

The national coat of arms of Haiti
Palm tree
resilience and independence
Liberty cap
liberty — atop the palm (Duvalier removed it; it returned in 1986)
Cannons, rifles, drums, bugles
the army that won independence, and sovereignty
Six flags
the unity and strength of the nation
Anchors
the country's island and maritime character
Broken chains
the end of slavery
“L'Union Fait La Force”
in unity there is strength

18 May is Flag Day (Fèt Drapo). It is celebrated every year across the country and in the diaspora — especially in Arcahaie, the “flag city” — to honor unity, independence, and national identity.

Sources

The flag and coat-of-arms images are from Wikimedia Commons (public domain — national symbols).