Part 6/10:
In the chaos following the revolution, a new class of mulattos—mixed-race descendants—emerged, seeking to maintain control over the land and its resources. Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Haiti's first leader, nationalized the land but ultimately forced peasantry back into labor on plantations, akin to a system of slavery without the title. The economy continued to spiral as instability led to constant leadership changes and a lack of coherent agricultural practices, contributing to an enduring cycle of poverty.