On June 3, 1770, the Haitian Capital, Port-au-Prince, was hit by a major earthquake. Haiti was a French Colony called Saint Domingue. This earthquake was so strong that it destroyed every single building from Miraguane al the way to the Dominican Republic.

The 1770 Port-au-Prince earthquake took place at 7:15pm. At that time Haiti was a French Colony with African slaves who became free in 1804. This earthquake was so intense that the effects were felt all the way in Cap-Haitian.

The epicenter for that earthquake was the city of Leogane.

The 1770 Port-au-Prince earthquake created major tsunami and the water level came about 4.5 miles inland in the island of La Gonave.

It was reported that the land under the City of Port-au-Prince became liquefied and many buildings gave up. It was also reported that the City of Croix des Bouquets sank below sea level

200 people in Port-au-Prince were estimated dead. Another 80 were hospitalized. In the City of Leogane, five people died as a result of the 1770 Port-au-Prince earthquake.

This earthquake created chaos in Haiti and following the earthquake, more than 15,000 slaves were reported dead as a result of famine. Many more slaves escaped and became free.