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