Abolitionists and the Revolution in Saint-Domingue Erica Robin Johnson
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Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2012 The Revolution from within: Abolitionists and the Revolution in Saint-Domingue Erica Robin Johnson Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES THE REVOLUTION FROM WITHIN: ABOLITIONISTS AND THE REVOLUTION IN SAINT-DOMINGUE By ERICA ROBIN JOHNSON A Dissertation submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2012 Erica Johnson defended this dissertation on November 5, 2012. The members of the supervisory committee were: Rafe Blaufarb Professor Directing Dissertation Martin Munro University Representative Darrin McMahon Committee Member Andrew Frank Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii For Amber, Noah, and Leah iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I must thank my family for their love, encouragement, and support during my graduate studies and while writing my dissertation. Throughout this long and arduous process, they always believed in me, and they kept me from giving up on myself and my dreams. My mother has been my primary source of inspiration and strength. When I was having a difficult time, she was always there to listen and reassure me. My father has provided me with the tough love necessary to persevere. My sister has never been more than a phone call or text message away from making me smile. She keeps my heart light. My grandmother Sadie has been my biggest promoter, sharing my progress with everyone she knows. Her pride in me has made me believe in myself, and I cherish our shared love of history. My grandparents Jim and Joyce have touched my heart with their interest in my studies, kind words over the phone and by letter, and patience and understanding during my years living outside Oklahoma. My extended family has also made me feel strong enough to accomplish my goals through their loving support. I also have to thank Punch for being my constant companion throughout my doctoral studies, even going with me to France for research. I could not have earned my doctorate without my friends. Many of my friends from high school and my undergraduate studies have continued to support me as I earned my Masters and Doctoral degrees. Though separated by many miles, Amy Cates, Kira Avey, Dana Jackson, Stephanie Giacomo, Deah Caldwell-Woods, Dr. Stan Adamiak, and Dr. Catherine Dunkle have been there for me over the years. I have been fortunate to have amazing people come into my life during my graduate studies. I am grateful for my wonderful ballet teacher, Suzie Bowling, and my beginner adult classmates at the Southern Academy of Ballet Arts. Each week, ballet has given me an outlet for my mind and body. Bryan Banks, Kim Beaver, Colleen Beck-Kaplan, Justin de la Cruz, Tim Fitzpatrick, Katherine Holton, Maureen Macleod, Weston Nunn, Heather Tyndall-Best, David Valladares, Megan Debono-Zwilling, and Andrew Zwilling have listened to me vent, cheered me on when I was ready to give up, and celebrated with me when I achieved my goals. I could not have finished my dissertation without my accountability partner, Tim Best. He motivated me, helped me with translation frustrations, and provided thoughtful feedback on my ideas. The members of the Dissertators Support Group – especially Shane Hockin, Sherri Reinhardt, Liz Bryant, and Alexander Shelby – provided camaraderie during a stressful and iv isolated time of graduate school. Victoria Penziner Hightower has been someone for me to look up to, and I am grateful to have her as a friend and mentor. My heart could not have endured the challenges of writing my dissertation without the patience, support, and love of Hakan Gungor. My professors and committee members have been supportive throughout each of my research projects, and their guidance and encouragement was invaluable for my dissertation. Dr. John Garrigus was on my Master’s committee at the University of Texas at Arlington, and he has continued to give me guidance via email, even helping me to decide on my dissertation project. Dr. Matt Childs was my first advisor at FSU. He has always been there for me, even after he moved to another university. He has provided me with great opportunities and continued support. Dr. Blaufarb took me as his graduate student without having had me in a course, and has been open to my ideas and encouraged my pursuit of my dissertation’s unconventional argument. Dr. McMahon helped me grow more confident in historical materials outside of my comfort zone. When I first came to FSU, I took his Enlightenment course, and I was instantly intimidated by him and the class. Through this and other courses with him, I became a stronger student. With the help of Drs. Blaufarb and McMahon, my dissertation research was possible through funding from the Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution. Dr. Andrew Frank has been both my professor and my mentor. He has taught me so much about history and about the profession. Though I never took a course from her at FSU, Dr. Lisa Tendrich Frank has been a role model and mentor for me as well. Both Andrew and Lisa welcomed me into their family, and I am forever grateful for their guidance and friendship. I am also thankful for the thoughtful feedback provided on segments of my dissertation at conferences and via correspondence. At the Consortium on the Revolutionary Era in 2010, Jack Censer provided me with valuable feedback on my work on the press is Saint-Domingue. Ada Ferrer and Jeremy Popkin delivered helpful comments for myself and my co-panelists at the "Roots and Branches: New Directions in Haitian Studies" conference at New York University in January 2012. After the conference, Popkin and I engaged in additional discussion via email, and he encouraged me to refine my arguments and directed me to certain documents. Linda Frey provided equally valuable feedback as the commentator on our panel on education in the Atlantic World at the Consortium on the Revolutionary Era in February 2012. Beyond Frey's formal comments, the audience was also helpful in providing commentary. Margaret Crosby-Arnold and Philippe R. Girard both gave outstanding verbal feedback. Following the conference, Girard v gave my paper a closer reading and provided me with indispensable written commentary and suggestions. I must thank Timothy Tackett for his insight on the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and the regular clergy in France. Each of these scholars gave me guidance in developing the various parts of my dissertation project. While researching in France, I found an amazing support network amongst the other American researchers and the French people. At the overseas archives in Aix-en-Provence, I was fortunate to have met Jessica Pearson-Patel, Lindsey Gish, Dr. George Trumbull IV, Melissa Anderson, and Blake Smith. Jessica and George gave me the best advice for organizing my research and made me laugh while exploring the local cuisine. I have fond memories from hiking Mount Sainte-Victoire with Jessica and Lindsey and eating pizza made in a wood burning oven in a van. I will never forget celebrating Blake’s birthday with Melissa and her husband. I also met many wonderful people through the Anglo-American Group of Provence. I was particularly fortunate to have befriended Juliette Danion. She taught me about Aix and French culture and helped me with my French speaking abilities. More importantly, she taught me about the strength of the human spirit, and she inspired me so much. I will always hold dear the fun times we shared, like touring a chocolate factory and taking a road trip to Saint-Rémy. I am thankful for the hospitality of the various institutions that helped with my dissertation research. Sarah Buck-Kachaluba and the staff of the Special Collections and Archives at FSU have been courteous and helpful in locating materials for all of my research projects during my doctoral studies. I also had equally pleasant experiences while researching in the University of Florida Smathers Libraries Special and Area Studies Collections. The staff at the overseas archives in Aix-en-Provence was extraordinary. Not only were they accommodating in my research, they made me feel welcome, even inviting me to join them for lunch nearby. They made my many months in Aix enjoyable and therefore more fruitful. In Paris, I am thankful for access to the records of the national archives, the national library, and the minister of foreign affairs. I am grateful for the wonderful experience and materials at the Capuchin library in Paris. This untapped archival resource had the warmest and welcoming staff. I thank all of these research institutions. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1 Literature Review ....................................................................................................................3 Methodology and Sources .......................................................................................................8 Transliteration and Terminology ...........................................................................................10