Haitian history began with the arrival of the indigenous Taíno people, who inhabited the island of Hispaniola. In 1492, Christopher Columbus claimed the island for Spain, leading to the decline of the Taíno population due to disease and colonization. In the 17th century, the western part of the island became a French colony known as Saint-Domingue, which thrived on sugar plantations worked by enslaved Africans. In 1804, after a successful slave revolt led by figures like Toussaint L'Ouverture, Haiti became the first independent nation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Despite its independence, Haiti faced political instability, economic challenges, and foreign intervention, shaping its complex history into the present day.