John McGinn's deflected strike just before the half hour mark settled the contest at Gillette Stadium, sending an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 travelling Scotland fans into raptures and securing the nation's first World Cup finals win since 1990.
Lewis Ferguson, the Bologna midfielder, captured the mood afterwards.
"The scenes at the end - these fans have waited so long for that. It was pretty special and nice to take it all in."
Ferguson praised Haiti's resilience despite Scotland taking the points.
"They are a good side. Three points and we move on to the next."
He acknowledged the pressure surrounding the occasion.
"There was a lot of pressure on us and we put pressure on ourselves to win the game."
Ferguson, who operated in a holding role in front of the back four, was candid about the performance level required going forward.
"We can play better, but we came here to do a job and we've done that."
He outlined his specific defensive responsibilities in the system.
"My job in this team is to be really disciplined, defend the back four, and I tried to do that today. I tried to stop passes going into their strikers."
"We defended pretty well, but we can be better and we will be better."
Goalkeeper Angus Gunn, who started ahead of Craig Gordon, admitted the match was a tougher watch than anticipated.
"It was difficult. We knew that it was going to be tough but we expected our quality would show in the end."
Gunn was honest about the defensive shape Scotland adopted against a Haiti side that pushed forward relentlessly through Frantzdy Pierrot and Romelo Providence.
"We definitely won't be happy when we look back at it and we'll have to improve for the next two games but it's three points at the World Cup. When the full time whistle went I was absolutely buzzing."
He described the physical battle posed by Haiti's front line.
"I thought we dropped a bit deep, even in the first half. They had two powerful guys up front who pushed us back. I was just screaming at the lads to try and stay up and stay as high as possible. We were just grinding it out and waiting for that full time whistle."
Gunn paid tribute to the opposition's preparation and execution.
"They were a good side. We fully prepared for that. I think they had a really good game, had a great game plan. I don't think we showed enough quality on the ball but we got the three points, we got the clean sheet and we won a game in the World Cup."
He pointed to the value of banking points early and getting accustomed to the Foxborough surroundings, where Scotland return to face Morocco on June 19.
"I think it's good that we started with three points and experienced the atmosphere here. Our next game is here, I think that helps us. That's the first one out the way and hopefully we can play the next one a bit more relaxed."
Gunn also spoke about the personal significance of the occasion.
"It was a very proud moment for me, all my family are here and I nearly cried when I saw them at the end."
Captain Andy Robertson, leading Scotland out at a World Cup for the first time, described the entire day as overwhelming.
"What an amazing feeling. The lads achieved their dreams today."
He thought of supporters back home who had stayed up through the night to watch.
"It was such a long day waiting, I can't imagine what the fans back home were like staying up so late."
Robertson singled out the pre-match anthem as a moment that will live with the squad.
"The fact we managed to walk out on to the pitch and sing the national anthem together, it was so special. To then go and follow it up with a win, it doesn't get much better than that."
He stressed the importance of converting expectation into results.
"Three important points - OK people expected us to win, but we had to go out and do it. It was so important to win that game and I'm so glad we did it."
Scotland's reward for victory is top spot in Group C after Brazil and Morocco shared the points in their opening fixture in New Jersey. The Tartan Army will hope the Foxborough crowd that lifted them on Saturday can do the same again when Morocco arrive on June 19, before a final group test against Brazil in Miami on June 24 decides who advances from one of the tournament's toughest sections.