("When our Fathers Broke Their Chains") was the unofficial national anthem of
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
from 1893 to 1903. The lyrics were written by
Oswald Durand, a Haitian writer and poet.
History
The was originally a poem written by
Oswald Durand. In 1893, a visiting German warship set course to the Haitian capital of
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
to stopover and by protocol that required that a national anthem be performed. At the time, Haiti did not have an anthem, so the composer Occide Jeanty offered to compose music to the patriotic poem and it was completed later that night. It debuted aboard the ship. It remained as an unofficial national anthem until officially became the national anthem commemorating the 100th anniversary of the
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution (french: révolution haïtienne ; ht, revolisyon ayisyen) was a successful insurrection by slave revolt, self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt ...
on January 1, 1904. The anthem still remains in use as a presidential salute.
National anthems: Haiti (1893-1903)
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Lyrics
See also
*La Dessalinienne
"" (; ht, "Desalinyèn"; en, "The Dessalines Song") is the national anthem of Haiti. It was written by Justin Lhérisson and composed by Nicolas Geffrard.
Etymology
"La Dessalinienne" is named in honor of Haiti's revolutionary leader and fi ...
* Flag of Haiti
*Haïti Chérie
"Haïti Chérie" (: ''Dear Haiti'') is a traditional patriotic song of Haiti of a poem written by Othello Bayard that was initially called it ''Souvenir d'Haïti'' ("Memory of Haiti") and composed to music in 1925. It is widely considered as a s ...
* Music of Haiti
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quand nos Aieux briserent leurs entraves
1893 songs
Haitian songs
French-language songs
Haitian patriotic songs
National symbols of Haiti