Haitian Revolution Maria Barun, Rachel Shin, Zoe Koch, Laura Smith, Kylie Garner, Sara Plomondon

Contextualization Discovered in early 1600s by former pirates and buccaneers Originally called St. Domingue French colony...tremendously helped the French economy Island produced sugar, cotton, indigo, and coffee Full of slave filled plantations Slave system promulgated by Louis XIV (aka Louis the Great) Louis XIV sent a group of French men and representatives to take over the island’s people and economy French culture dominated the island Both Christianity and Petwo Vodou were practiced by the islanders

Causes of Revolution (SPICE) Inherently cruel slavery Population of 40,000; more than half (about 28,000) were people of color Series of violent conflicts between slave owners and slaves Large maroon communities around island that would attack plantations for food, weapons, tools, and recruits (plantation owners lost many slaves) The French sent about 500 gens de couleur to North America to help with the American Revolution White settlers wanted to govern themselves but refused the proposals for equality for the gens de couleur, which was the last straw before the Haitian Civil War broke out

Goals of the Revolution Abolish slavery in St. Domingue Independence from slaves Change the social classes 4 groups White landlords in France Wealthy free people of color Poor whites Slaves of color Human rights for everyone regardless of heritage

Results of the Revolution (SPICE) First successful slave revolt in history Strong army created by Louverture New democratic government New Constitution created Hundreds of thousands people died, not just Haitians, French Soldiers Fighting, Yellow Fever Environment greatly destroyed Fires decimated the island Renamed island from Saint-Domingue to Haiti, what the island was called by the native inhabitants before Columbus’s arrival

Timeline of Major Events 1760s: Rights of colored people increasingly taken away 1793: Toussaint had built a strong and skilled slave army 1801: Toussaint created a constitution of equality and citizenship 1803: Saint Domingue declares independence August 1791: Beginning of slave revolts after civil war had broken out 1797: Army of 20,000 led by Toussaint controlled Saint-Domingue 1802: Napoleon sent 40,000 troops to Saint Domingue January 4, 1804: Proclamation of the establishment Haiti

Global Impact Napoleon retreated his forces and gave up building an empire in the Western Hemisphere. Napoleon reversed the French abolition of slavery and reinstated slavery in the French colonies Revolutionary ideals traveled beyond Saint-Domingue to the Spanish and Portuguese colonies US Gov. worried a similar thing would happen in USA In 1807, Britain permanently abolished the slave trade, although the practice of slavery was not abolished in the British Empire until 1834

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Haitian-Revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A_o-nU5s2U https://15minutehistory.org/2013/02/06/episode-11-the-haitian-revolution/