1791-1804 Martine Faustin, Casey Smith Background
● 18th century Haiti was France’s wealthiest colony and the envy of every other European nation ● At the start of the French Revolution, the colony of St. Domingue (now Haiti) furnished two thirds of France’s overseas trade ● 5 distinct groups: White planters (owned plantations and slaves), petit blancs (artisans/ shopkeepers), free people of African descent (about half were mulattos, who were often wealthier than petit blancs), slaves, and runaway slaves (maroons) ● Influence by the French Revolution ● The Haitian Revolution consisted of several revolutions happening simultaneously, beginning in 1791 and ending in 1804 Saint Domingue The Players
● Dutty Boukman -- Self educated slave, born in Jamaica; a key leader in the slave revolt at Le Cap- Francais ● Toussaint L’Ouverture--Military leader and former slave, best-known leader of the Haitian Revolution ○ Gained control of several areas of Haiti in late 1790s ● Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henry Christophe--led a black army against the French in 1802, following evidence that Napoleon intended to restore slavery in Saint-Domingue The Haitian Slave
● Average lifespan of the Haitian slave was 7 years ● Code Noir (1685) was a law established by King Louis to regulate slavery and punishment ○ Required 2-½ lbs. Manioc and either 2 lbs of meat or 3 lbs of fish per week ○ Runaway or misbehaved slaves were put to death in extreme ways ● Most white planters did not abide by Code Noir ○ Slaves diet consisted of a few potatoes, and little water ● Slaves lived in crowded low areas with poor ventilation and excessive heat ● Slaves were worked to death Factors Contributing to the Revolution
● Social instability of Saint Domingue caused political unrest ● Differences in culture led to separation of the classes, which had different ideals and rights ○ Free Mulattoes were unhappy with limited freedom ● Harsh treatment of slaves ● Lacking a clear and defined political authority, the White colonists were unable to contain the pending rebellion ● Trafficking of slaves, leading to spread of diseases ● The Declaration of the Rights of Man passed in France in 1789 ○ All citizens equal in the eyes of the law
https://youtu.be/ghF-OB9XMvE Timeline
● 1789- The French Revolution begins ● Prior to 1791- Slave rebellions, resistance gains momentum ● August 21, 1791- Toussaint L’Ouverture led slaves against the slave owners ● 1792- Controlled ⅓ of the island ● 1793- British/French forces arrived to conquer ○ Between 1791 and 1793, about 90% of the white population had fled St. Domingue ● 1798- Forces withdrew after defeat by L’Ouverture’s forces ● 1801- L’Ouverture expanded revolution beyond Haiti to Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), abolished slavery there, and declared himself Governor-General for life over the island ● 1801-1802- General Leclerc in Saint-Domingue ● 1802-1804 The final years of the Revolution Haitian Revolution’s Global Impact
● The Haitian Revolution resulted in the world’s first black republic ● Haiti was also the second nation in the Western Hemisphere to win independence from a European power, second to the United States ● Only successful slave revolt in modern times ● The revolution challenged notions about racial hierarchy that were gaining legitimacy in the Atlantic world ● The violence of the conflict led to portrayals of Haiti as primitive and lawless ● Many people fleeing the revolution traveled to the United States, specifically Philadelphia ○ Yellow fever ● New York played host to about four thousand refugees, who improved the city culturally ○ Introduced new fashions in jewelry, dancing and music Haitian Revolution in Literature
● The Haitian Revolution, followed by the establishment of a black republic, provided inspiration for artists and intellectuals from the 1920s onward
Victor Hugo: Bug Jargal 1826
Guy Endore: Babouk 1934
C.L.R. James: The Black Jacobins 1939
Alejo Carpentier: The Kingdom of this World 1949
Isabel Allende: Island Beneath the Sea 2009 References
Baur, John E. “International Repercussions of the Haitian Revolution.” The Americas, vol. 26, no. 04, 1970, pp. 394–418., doi:10.2307/980183.
Bromley, C. J. (n.d.). Resistance and The Haitian Revolution. Retrieved from Slave Resistance - A Caribbean Study: https://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/san_domingo_revolution/individual_essay/jason.html
“Most Important Causes.” The Haitian Revolution, learnhaitirevolution.weebly.com/most-important-causes.html.
Rand, D. (n.d.). Social Triggers of The Haitian Revolution. Retrieved from Slave Resistance- A Caribbean Study: https://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/san_domingo_revolution/individual_essay/david.html
Rose, C. (2013, February 6). Episode 11: The Haitian Revolution. Retrieved from 15 Minute History: https://15minutehistory.org/2013/02/06/episode-11-the-haitian-revolution/
“The Haitian Revolution.” Art as a Representation of Resistance, scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/san_domingo_revolution/revolution.html.