Christopher Teal's biography of Ebenezer D. Bassett, a prominent African-American who became the US's first black diplomat, is an interesting case study to examine in light of US-Haiti relations. Although the author is not a historian and the text is lacking in Haitian historical analysis, Teal uses Bassett's career in Haiti to show how African-Americans participated in US foreign relations in ways that both supported and undermined US imperialism.
Representing the US in Haiti during some politically turbulent years in Haitian history, Basset helped avert a military disaster in Hispaniola multiple times. During the civil war under President Salnave, Bassett helped provide asylum and curb violence, as well as encouraging humane and liberal governance under Saget, who succeeded Salnave. In the early 1870s, when Grant pushed for US annexation of the Dominican Republic, Bassett again helped prevent war with Haiti as President Saget's Haitian forces joined Dominican nationalists (such as Gregorio Luperon) in resisting Dominican president Baez, who wanted annexation. Bassett pushed for peace, went out of his way to maintain consul professionalism and rule of law, socialized and formed relationships with all Haitian presidents, defended Haitian sovereignty, endeavored to avoid gunboat diplomacy, and helped shape US and Haitian history.
Due to Bassett's belief in providing asylum, Boisrond Canal survived the butcherous campaigns of Michel Domingue's presidency, and Bassett later served the Haitian government in New York, where he fought through the US legal system against US citizens selling arms and profiting from Haiti's vicious cycle of coups. Bassett also opposed US attempts to bully Haiti into leasing the Mole St. Nicolas as a naval base and denied racist rumors of cannibalism in the 'Black Republic.'
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