Haitian Revolution

Haiti The Haitian Revolution - a political conflict on the island of Hispaniola (today known as Haiti / Dominican Republic) A French colony of Saint-Domingue from1697-1804 1791-1804

Atlas Cover, 1794

French St. Domingue The richest of all the New World colonies Controlled by France $$$ = sugar cane 40% of Europe’s sugar French brought in African slaves to work the cane fields 1788 - 500,000 slaves to 60,000 white colonists

People of St. Domingue 4 Social Groups: Grands blancs (Rich, white plantation owners) gens de couleur (Free people of color – denied equal rights) Petit blancs (white workers) African Slaves Mulattos: people of mixed race/bi-racial (usually French fathers & black slave mothers) Lots of racial / social tension in the colony

Rebellion! Slaves were overworked & underfed Long hours Bad conditions Disease / malnutrition Savage punishment Many slaves fled their masters & hid in the mountains Influence of the French Revolution Declaration of the Rights of Man The “Gens de couleur” demanded equal rights Slaves demanded freedom Tired of suffering & inspired by talk of liberty and equality, slaves revolt in 1791.

Boukman’s Rebellion, a massive slave revolt, 1791 A voodoo priest leader named Boukman Dutty led a slave uprising of 50,000 people Killed white owners Burned plantations Freed slaves Saint-Domingue’s white colonists made a deal with the British for help Believed the French government didn’t care Desired independence

Toussaint L’Ouverture Most famous of the revolutionaries 1743-1803 Businessman /general / doctor Well-educated in Enlightenment philosophy Believed a black “messiah” would rise to lead the slaves to victory Trained followers like a professional army 1791 - Toussaint L’Ouverture's army wins initial victory, 10,000 whites flee Result: National Assembly in France proclaims equality for all men (gens de couleur) But, maintain slavery in their colonies

Results & Issues By 1794, rebels had achieved their goal! Slavery abolished Toussaint’s forces controlled most of the island Constitution written Toussaint became a French Official L’Ouverture faces economic issues Cane fields / plantations are destroyed No economy – Need sugar L’Ouverture forces his African followers back to work Continues the plantation system (forced paid labor) Dictator?

Napoleon’s Intervention Many white & “gens de colour” are unhappy with L’Ouverture’s rule Petition Napoleon for help Napoleon needs sugar $$ 1802- Napoleon dispatched an army to Saint-Domingue to retake the island Napoleon attempts to reinstitute slavery French commander captures & imprisons L’Ouverture

Toussaint Dies in Prison Toussaint L’Ouverture dies in a French Prison in 1803 Fort de Joux

Haitian Independence Continued The cause for independence continued after Toussaint’s death, led by Jacques Dessalines. Late 1803, yellow fever had destroyed the French army Massive French casualties 50,000 of 58,000 die France surrenders By 1804, Napoleon recalls his army The country declares independence on January 1, 1804. New name: Haiti! But not all is fair: the only people in the new government who could read were mulattos. 1805 – Constitution rewritten to keep power in hands of mulattos. Haiti eventually becomes a republic in 1820

Haitian Revolution in World History Napoleon abandons idea of empire in the Americas after losing Haiti sells Louisiana to the USA News spreads to the US Toussaint L’Ouverture becomes a hero to American slaves The Haitian Revolution is important because: Stopped Napoleon’s attempt to gain a world-wide empire Haiti had the only successful slave revolt in modern times. Haiti is the only country where slave freedom was taken by force. Haiti was the 1st country in Latin America to gain independence, 2nd only to the USA in the Americas as a whole. NOTE: USA fears a slave revolt in the South & refused to recognize Haitian independence till 1862

Questions How does Haiti being an island make it a perfect place for slavery to flourish? What are some of the reasons that blacks and mulattos had so much trouble getting along? Especially since they were both oppressed by the French and had hoped for independence? How was the fight against slavery in Haiti like the fight against slavery in the USA?