Hurston considers Haiti a nation defined by the strife and struggles of its Black inhabitants, and views its occupation by American forces from 1915 to 1934 as its saving grace, a peaceful and hopeful end to four centuries of suffering and violence.

Hurston details the events leading to the USA’s occupation of Haiti, providing an account of the final days of the reign of President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam (1859-1915). First, word spreads in the night that the 167 political prisoners—primarily educated young men from Port-au-Prince—held in the National Penitentiary have been murdered. Upon investigation it is discovered that all but three of the prisoners are dead in their cells, shot and butchered while they were defenseless.

In the following days, the outraged and grieving public storm the consulates where high-ranking officials have sought refuge. Both President Sam and his chief military officer, Oscar Etienne, are killed by the mob, their bodies torn apart and paraded in the streets. This insurrection provides the pretext for the USA’s intervention and occupation, which is signaled by the arrival of the flagship USS Washington.