Haitian Independence The Only Successful Slave Revolt in History?

Background Haiti was critical to France as a source of sugar—annexed in 1697 Population mostly non-white with large number of slaves – necessary for harvesting and processing sugar – cruel conditions Population divided by French Revolution. Rich whites opposed it, poorer whites and non-whites, esp. small planter class, favored it.

The Revolution Begins August, 1791 – religious leader named Boukman incites over 100,000 slaves to rise up, burn plantations and execute all Frenchmen they can find. Unlike American and French Revolutions, the Haitian Revolution was carried out by people who had been slaves all their lives. revolt also pitted whites against mulattos, both of whom wanted to keep the black slaves under control

Francois Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture Toussaint l'Ouverture was 50 when the revolution broke out – he was a carriage driver who had been a slave all his life He was inspired by revolutionary rhetoric and rose to the occasion to lead the revolt Did not participate in burning of plantations, but rather saw the need for military and political organization Realized that Haitian slaves were caught in a power struggle between the French, Spanish, and English – his genius was to play these powers off of each other – in the end, Toussaint allied with the French and Haiti remained a part of France under the consulship of Toussaint

Haiti underL’Ouverture Toussaint was a charismatic statesman and leader Although Haiti was technically under the control of France, in reality the Haitian consul was a military dictatorship. Despite fiery vengeance of the revolutions beginnings, Toussaint was able to maintain a degree of racial harmony His power came to an end with the rise of Napoleon, who did not want to share power

Jean-Jacques Dessalines Unlike L’Ouverture, Dessalines was still angry over being a slave and was determined not to allow its return The war fought between the French general Laclerc was horrifying – both sides committed atrocities – Laclerc initiates slaughter of all blacks after guerilla ambushes and yellow fever decimate his men – Desallines responds with directive to kill all French. Rochambeau, Leclerc’s successor continues policy – back and forth.

The end Dessalines won over the French and declared Haiti to be an independent republic in 1803 – the second republic of the Western hemisphere Dessalines’authoritarian ways led to his assassination in 1806 and the beginning of uncertain political rule in Haiti

Response White slave owners in other regions of the Americas become afraid that the Haitian precedent might happen to them Southern white slave owners in North America began to build slave shelters in which to hide in case slaves revolted.

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