Origin of the motto “Unity is strength”
Adopted at the time of Haiti’s independence in 1804, this motto is inspired by a universal ideal that values solidarity and collaboration. After a long war against French colonization, the leaders of the Haitian Revolution understood that only unity between the different social and ethnic forces could ensure victory and the building of a free nation.
In Haiti’s historical context, where African slaves, freedmen and indigenous peoples had to join forces to fight a common enemy, “Unity is strength” has become a rallying cry. It symbolizes the convergence of efforts to establish the world’s first independent black republic.