Haitian Revolution 1789-1804

(Colony of St. Domingue) French (Colony of St. Domingue) Spanish France took western 1/3 of island from Spain

Social Structure in Haiti Whites (20,000) Gens de Couleur (30,000) Slaves (500,000)

Pre-Revolution: Haiti the richest colony in the WORLD French colonists brought African slaves to develop large sugar and coffee plantations By 1788 - 500,000 slaves and 60,000 colonists (outnumbered 8 : 1) Haiti the richest colony in the WORLD

Developments 1789 French Revolution begins Declaration of Rights of Man issued by National Assembly White planters (Grands Blancs) want “home rule” because of French Revolution Gens de couleur (free blacks) want equality (liberty, equality, fraternity) but did not get their promised citizenship WHY is France a catalyst for the Haitian Revolution?

1790 Vincent Ogé (un gen de couleur), goes to France, wants rights for free blacks Back in Haiti, demand end to discrimination. Ogé is killed by whites (chained to wagon wheel and repeatedly run over). French National Assembly allows colonial whites to determine political life in Haiti.

1791 French Assembly gives all men with two free parents full rights. (This means some of the gens de couleur) Whites consider separation from France. Leading French writer Count Mirabeau said the Saint-Domingue whites "slept at the foot of Vesuvius” alluding to the grave threat they faced should the majority of slaves launch a sustained major uprising.

A Rallying Cry “Coute la liberté il pale nan coeur nous tous” – “Listen to the voice of liberty which speaks in the hearts of all of us” (Dutty Boukman– delivered in patois)

1791: CRISIS Slave revolt Toussaint becomes a military leader Dutty Boukman (“Dirty Book Man” because he was accused of teaching slaves to read) leads thousands of Maroons (runaway slaves) to attack plantations across the colony killing 1500. Boukman is killed and the revolt falters until Toussaint organizes them. Toussaint becomes a military leader After reading Julius Caesar - insisted on discipline and restricted wholesale slaughter Whites decide to fight for independence Assembly revoked rights given to men of color with two free parents.

Toussaint Bréda This Image, of Toussaint, was created by a French artist after years of French vilification.

No contemporary Image of Toussaint exists

The Revolution through the eyes of modern artists (Whose pose?) The Revolution through the eyes of modern artists

Slave Revolt – Who would publish this?

1792 French Assembly and Louis XVI grant all free men of color full citizenship rights

1793 Whites imprisoned, gens de couleur take power Toussaint controls most of colony French National Convention abolishes slavery in an attempt to pacify island.

1796 Toussaint is distrustful of all foreigners and wants only black leadership on island. Gens de couleur have gained rights but lost property….what to do; should they support France in hopes of regaining property (slaves) or support revolt in hopes of gaining power?

1799 War of the Castes Gens de couleur support France (want slaves back) Toussaint’s army turns on gens de couleur Toussaint asks president John Adams for help Adams fears Britain and France in the Americas so: Alliance with U.S. Adams sends arms and ships to defeat gens de couleur Toussaint will not allow French to use island as a base.

1799 Toussaint gets nickname “L’ouverture” (break through enemy lines) from the French Some of Toussaint’s officers had fought in American Revolution Jefferson reverses Adams’ policy calling Toussaint’s army “cannibals” (Didn’t he write the Declaration of Independence? Why did he say that?) French British and Spanish armies incompetent, (especially French who were decimated by disease.) Napoleon’s coup d’état in France (internal weakness) -He wants to reestablish slavery and colonialism

What to do.. What to do!

1800-Extreme Action Le plus ca change ... le plus ca reste la même “The War of Knives” between Toussaint & rival leader, Rigaud Toussaint becomes dictator Needs exports for revenue Re-imposes plantation system, sugar means money for Haiti. Uses freed slaves as forced labor (sounds like slavery to me) It doesn’t work

1802 Toussaint surrenders (under false pretenses) and is taken to France - dies of neglect and starvation in jail

1802 Revolution is carried on by Jean-Jacques Dessalines Both sides resort to atrocities Torture, rape, mutilations-”A war of racial extermination” Haitians hang French prisoners U.S. and Britain fear slave revolt Newspapers cover the murder of the French but not the blacks British delay abolishing the slave trade Blacks who had sided with France turn against French French re-establish slavery on nearby island of Martinique

1803 Napoleon, who was going to use Haiti as a base to invade Mexico and create an American Empire, sells the Louisiana Territory to the United States in April 1803 French on island surrender to the British afraid to surrender to Toussaint’s army

Massacre of 1804 Mulattos and Blacks massacre remaining whites in the nation.

1804: Return to Normalcy Dessalines officially declares independence, renaming "Haiti" after the indigenous Arawak name for mountain Land redistribution ends the plantation system, France demands 150 million francs (21 Billion $ in today’s money), the debt will be paid off in 1947. Haiti, the richest colony in the world, becomes one of the poorest nations on earth. Dessalines rips the white from the flag.

"The Heroes" by Smith Georges (Toussaint Louverture, Dessalines, Petion, Christophe, Boukman) First president King of Northern Haiti! Emperor of Haiti

Throughout the southern United States, white slave-owners begin to build "slave shelters" to hide in should the slaves revolt. Ripping the white from the flag As he has ripped the whites from Haiti

L'Union Fait La Force ("Unity Makes Strength.")

Compare the French and Haitian Revolutions Stages Class aspirations Class participation Role of outside forces

Crash Course Haitian Revolution http://www.google.com/#safe=active&q=crash+course+world+history+haiti