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It is sometimes known as Haiti's "independence city" because it was there that Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti's independence on January 1, 1804.

Two dozen people were killed in Gonaïves in 1994 in an army massacre of supporters of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In recent years, Gonaïves has been the scene of substantial rioting and violence primarily motivated by opposition to Aristide, and on February 5, 2004, a group calling itself the Revolutionary Artibonite Resistance Front rose in rebellion and seized control of the city.

In September 2004, Hurricane Jeanne caused major flooding and mudslides in the city. 1,650 people are confirmed dead in Haiti, and the death toll in Gonaïves is expected to top 2,000. Every building in the city was damaged by the storm, and 250,000 people were left homeless. [1]