Editing Jacmel (section)

==History==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2010}}
The town was founded by the ''Compagnie de Saint-Domingue'' in 1698<ref>{{Cite web|title=iciHaiti – Jacmel : Celebrations of the patronal feast and the city's 322 years – iciHaiti.com : All the news in brief 7/7|url=https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-30671-icihaiti-jacmel-celebrations-of-the-patronal-feast-and-the-city-s-322-years.html|website=IciHaiti.com|access-date=2020-05-03}}</ref> as the capital of the southeastern part of the French colony [[Saint-Domingue]]. The area now called Jacmel was [[Taíno people|Taíno]] territory, part of the Xaragua chiefdom ruled by cacique Bohechio. With the arrival of the French, and the later establishment of the town, the French renamed Yaquimel as Jacmel.

The city was developed to boost [[sugar production]] and trade, but soon it evolved into a coffee trading centre. In 1896 it suffered a major fire that destroyed most of the buildings in the city. The city was rebuilt, often using prefabricated cast-iron pillars and balconies shipped from [[France]]. Many ornate mansions of wealthy coffee merchants from this time have been preserved up to this day without much change and the whole central part of the city has changed little over the last 100 years{{when|date=February 2016}}.

The mansions of Jacmel, with their cast-iron pillars and [[balconies]], would later influence the homes in much of [[New Orleans]]. Today, many of these homes are now artisan shops that sell vibrant handicrafts, [[papier-mâché]] masks, and carved-wood animal figures. In recent years, efforts have been made to revitalize the once flourishing [[cigar]] and [[coffee]] industries. The town is a popular tourist destination in Haiti due to its relative tranquility and distance from the political turmoil that plagues [[Port-au-Prince]].

Over the years, this rather small town experienced a number of noted historical events. Some of these occurrences are:

===Haitian Revolution and War of the South===
In 1791 and 1792, [[Romaine-la-Prophétesse]] led thirteen thousand rebels in besieging, occupying, and later burning Jacmel, and taking weapons and supplies from (and then burning) surrounding plantations from [[Marigot, Sud-Est|Marigot]], about 25 kilometers east of Jacmel, to [[Bainet]], about 45 kilometers west of it, freeing their [[Slavery|slaves]].<ref>Terry Rey, ''The Priest and the Prophetess: Abbé Ouvière, Romaine Rivière, and the Revolutionary Atlantic World'' (2017), pp. 14, 32–35, 48–49.</ref>

[[Toussaint Louverture]] fought over Jacmel in the [[War of the South]] between him and his fellow countryman [[André Rigaud]], who wished to maintain authority over the city. This war began in June 1799. By November the rebels were pushed back to this strategic southern port, the defence of which was commanded by [[Alexandre Pétion]]. Jacmel fell to Toussaint's troops in February 1800. Pétion and other [[mulatto]] leaders subsequently went into exile in France.

===Creation of the Gran Colombia flag===
A Venezuelan predecessor of [[Simón Bolívar]] in the liberation struggle against colonialism in Venezuelan and much of Spanish-ruled South America, [[Francisco de Miranda]] created the first [[flag of Gran Colombia]] near Jacmel, which served as the national flag of the [[First Republic of Venezuela]]. Anchored in the Bay of Jacmel (''Baie de Jacmel''), he first raised the flag on March 12, 1806, on the corvette ''Leander''. This day is still celebrated as Venezuelan Flag Day. The general design of the Gran Colombian flag served as the model for the current flags of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, which emerged as independent nations at the breakup of Gran Colombia in 1830. This flag is often referred to as the "bandera madre" (mother flag) due to its role as inspiration and resemblance to the flags of Colombia and Ecuador.

===Ramón Emeterio Betances===
Puerto Rican pro-independence leader [[Ramón Emeterio Betances]] spent a short interval in Jacmel in 1870, from where he gathered support for an uprising in the Dominican Republic, seeking to install a liberal government there. Then-president of Haiti, [[Nissage Saget]] supported Betances's ideals of a pan-Antillean union and gave the uprising his support.

===Modern Jacmel prior to the 12 January 2010 earthquake===

The port town is internationally known for its very vibrant art scene and elegant townhouses dating from the 19th century. Among the wealth of art and crafts available in Jacmel are the papier-mâché, done by nearly 200 artisans and the renowned Atelier created by Moro Baruk. In recent years Jacmel has been host to a large film festival, called the ''[[Jacmel Film Festival]]'', that started in 2004, and in 2007 the international ''[[Jacmel Music Festival]]'' was successfully launched as well. Its carnival, the nearby [[Bassin Bleu (Jacmel)|Bassin Bleu]] (Haiti's most famous natural deep pools), and the scenic white sand (Timouillage, Cabic, Raymond-les-bains, located primarily in Cayes-Jacmel) beaches attract many visitors. The town is regarded as one of the safest in the country, and foreign visitors that come to Haiti seeking tranquility often go for Jacmel. Its urbanization has been increasing in large part due to the income generated by tourism. Royal Caribbean, the leading tourism company whose cruise ships regularly dock at [[Labadee]], plans to add stopovers at Jacmel. In February 2007, Edwin Zenny became the town's newly elected mayor. The current mayor is Marky Kessa. In addition, the [[Jacmel Film Festival]] is held there annually. On January 11, 2010, [[Choice Hotels]] announced they would open a 120-room [[Comfort Inn]] in Jacmel, the first chain hotel to be opened there in a decade.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chain Hotels Coming Back to Haiti |date=January 11, 2010  |work=ABC News |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=9534520}}</ref>

===2010 Haiti earthquake===
{{main|2010 Haiti earthquake}}

On 12 January 2010, Haiti experienced [[2010 Haiti earthquake|a magnitude 7.0 earthquake]] that caused heavy damage and casualties in Jacmel.<ref>[https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010rja6.php "Magnitude 7.0 – HAITI REGION"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603050654/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010rja6.php |date=2011-06-03 }}, [[United States Geological Survey]]</ref> The first tremor rocked the city at 4:40 pm, but the later tremor at 5:37 pm stopped the cathedral's clock. A Jacmel radio station estimated that at least 5000 were dead from the quake itself, although mayor Edwin 'Edo' Zenny in later reported that the figure was closer to 300–500 deaths and 4,000 injured. About 70 per cent of the homes were damaged, with most of the heavier damage being in the poorer neighbourhoods.<ref>AFP, [http://www.mysinchew.com/node/34251 "In Haiti, the Jacmel cathedral clock stopped at 5:37 pm"], 20 January 2010 (accessed 20 January 2010)</ref> The town hall was so severely damaged that it had to be demolished.<ref>Leeder, Jessica (9 February 2010) [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/project-jacmel-blog/welcome-to-jacmel/article1463734/ "Welcome to Jacmel"], ''Globe and Mail''.</ref> A small [[tsunami]] hit Jacmel Bay, with the ocean receding, leaving fish high and dry on the seabed, and rushing back in, four times.<ref>Kinzie, Susan (24 January 2010) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/23/AR2010012302632.html "In Jacmel, Haiti, parties give way to aftershocks and rescue missions"], ''Washington Post''.</ref>

====Recovery====
In December 2010, the [[Capponi Construction Group]], a Miami-based construction company, decided to help with the revitalization of Jacmel.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fagenson|first=Zachary|title=Haiti's President huddles privately with developers in Miami|url=http://www.michaelcapponi.com/web/press_awards.php?id=266|work=article|publisher=Miami Today|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004174453/http://www.michaelcapponi.com/web/press_awards.php?id=266|archive-date=2011-10-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Adams|first=David|title=The Pied Piper of Jacmel|url=http://www.podermagazine.com/article_detail.php?id_article=5670|work=Magazine|publisher=Poder|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909052610/http://www.podermagazine.com/article_detail.php?id_article=5670|archive-date=2012-09-09}}</ref> This initiative was created to help stimulate a self-sustaining tourism economy for Haiti.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Pied Piper of Jacmel|url=http://www.podermagazine.com/article_detail.php?id_article=5670|work=Poder Magazine|publisher=Poder|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909052610/http://www.podermagazine.com/article_detail.php?id_article=5670|archive-date=2012-09-09}}</ref> Michael Capponi, founder of the Capponi Group, formed the [https://archive.today/20120728134546/http://www.discoveringhaiti.com/team/ Jacmel Advisory Council] to help revitalize Jacmel, while preserving its arts, culture and traditions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jacmel Advisory Council|url=http://www.discoveringhaiti.com/team/|publisher=Discoveringhaiti.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728134546/http://www.discoveringhaiti.com/team/|archive-date=2012-07-28}}</ref> The board promotes best practices to provide a socio-economic system for thousands of Haitians living in the southeast region.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schaaf|first=Bryan|title=Envisioning a New Jacmel|url=http://www.haitiinnovation.org/en/2011/05/30/envisioning-new-jacmel|work=Haiti Innovation|publisher=haitiinnovation.com|access-date=May 29, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602010335/http://www.haitiinnovation.org/en/2011/05/30/envisioning-new-jacmel|archive-date=June 2, 2011}}</ref> Capponi Group Haiti is also restoring a 200-year-old coffee-sorting house at the port of Jacmel.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Haiti|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2069022|work=forum|publisher=Lonely Planet}}</ref> The project hopes to again make Jacmel a commercial and tourist center.<ref>{{cite web|last=Adams|first=David|title=Man with Plan, for Haiti|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/06/14/2265213/man-with-plan-for-haiti.html|work=Miami Herald|publisher=The Miami Herald|access-date=June 13, 2011}}</ref>