Haitian Revolution
Two Stories End of Slavery Pain of Haiti
2010 Earthquake
Haiti in Context Haiti v. Dominican Republic GDP –13.2 billion v. 100 billion Per capita – 1,300$ v. 9,300$ Unemployment – 41% v. 14.7% Poverty – 80% v. 34% Literacy – 53% v. 90%
Haiti in Context How did Haiti become the first free island in the Caribbean but is now one of the poorest?
Haiti in Context How is the history of Haiti also the history of Slavery?
French Colonies
Trade with Native Americans
French Colonies Slavery and Plantations
French Slavery
1660s - Focused on Caribbean Coffee and Sugar plantations
French Slavery Three Tier System White Slavers – 32,000 Free Blacks – 28,000 Africans – 452,000
French Slavery White Slavers Almost all men Wealthy lineages Want to establish their own country
French Slavery Free Blacks Children of slave owners Educated and often Slave owners
French Slavery African Slaves High rate of death means constant influx Create shared language (Creole) and religion (Voudou)
Colonialism France very dependent on wealth from Haiti White Haitians want independence Constant tension
Colonialism Upper class of France becoming very rich But government was bankrupted by wars with England
Revolution 1789
Revolution 1789
Freed black population & slaves band together to fight white slave holders Revolution
1794 All slavery is banned throughout France and its colonies Emancipation
1794 All slavery is banned throughout France and its colonies Emancipation
French in conflict with Spain and England Conflict spills onto Haiti Free under France
Napoleon is in power and focused on wars in Europe Former slaves push out all French forces Freedom from France
"For our declaration of independence, we should have the skin of a white man for parchment, his skull for an inkwell, his blood for ink, and a bayonet for a pen!"
Moral Challenges Slaughter of white men, women, children, and elderly shocks Americans and Europeans Lack of sympathy for Haiti on world stage Haitian constitution bans whites from owning property – insures no outside investment
Economic Failure Haiti is free, but French embargos cripple its economy Almost 10% of young men pulled into the defense of the island – not enough people to work Have to pay huge reparations to slave- holders to lift embargo (40$ Billion)
Political Victory France is first major world power to ban slavery (1794) Denmark-Norway stop slave ships (1803) Britain bans slave trade (1807), and eventually slavery (1833) Spain abolishes slavery (1810)
Political Victory Common myth that Enlightenment, Revolution and Emancipation go together Ignores the sacrifices of revolutionaries like those in Haiti
Long Term Effects Defeat hurts Napoleon’s dreams of French Empire To finance wars he makes the Louisiana Purchase deal with America America doubles in size
Long Term Effects White slave holders retreat to American South (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama) Southern states form coalition to continue slaving until Civil War (1865)
Two Stories End of Slavery Pain of Haiti