Brief Overview of the Haitian Revolution, Eric Beckman Anoka HS, MN The Louverture Project Liberty, Equality, McKay, et al, History of Western Society

Who was Toussaint Louverture? Print made from an 1838 engraving French print from An 1802 engraving

Haiti

Hayti, Taino word for the island Western half of Santo Domingo, aka Hispaniola French colony of Saint- Domingue, Second Independent nation- state in Western Hemisphere Site of largest successful slave revolt in history

French Saint-Domingue (Haiti) Sugar, coffee, and indigo Slave labor Richest colony Sugar Mill, engraving from 17 th c. French book

People of French St.-Domingue African Slaves Free people of color  Some biracial  Some black Whites  Petit blancs  Plantation owners  Many absentee owners

Boukman Rebellion, a massive slave revolt, 1791 Secret meetings Vodou Armies Rebelling slaves Free men of color Royalist whites Republican whites Toussaint Louverture emerged as a leader Spanish support French Revolution: Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

Boukman's Rebellion became a war Toussaint Louverture's army wins victories 10,000 whites flee St.- Domingue (Haiti) National Assembly in France enfranchises free men of color But, maintains slavery Racial violence: petit blancs v. free people of color

Civil War in Haiti, years of fighting o Royalist v Republican o White elite v Free men of color o Rebelling Slaves o Toussaint Louverture's army conquers northern Haiti o Spanish guns o Several armies

End of Slavery Rebelling Slaves French Proclamations St. Domingue, 1793 All French territory, 1794 Revolutionary armies in Haiti join with French

Toussaint Louverture became a French Official  Leads his Army against  Spanish & British  Other Haitian armies  Others lead by biracial Haitians  Toussaint Louverture won victories over the whole island of Santo Domingo

Napoloeon Bonaparte seizes power in France, 1799 Rules as dictator in the name of the French Revolution (?)

Toussaint Louverture rules all of Santo Domingo as Governor-General,  Constitution of 1801 (for all of Santo Domingo)  Abolished slavery  Elected legislature  Santo Domingo remains French  Toussaint Louverture = Governor General for life

Napoleon Sends an Army to Reconquer St. Domingue (Haiti), 1802  Eventually, attempts to reinstitute slavery  Massive French casualties  50,000 of 58,000 die  French commander deceives and imprisons Toussaint Louverture

Louverture in French Prison Toussaint Louverture dies in French prison, 1803

Who was Toussaint Louverture? Print made from an 1838 engraving French print from An 1802 engraving

Source: Tobias Lear

Haitian Independence! Former Slave Jean Jacques Dessaline and former “free man of color” Alexandre Petion unite to lead Haitian revolutionaries to victories over French troops

Haitian Independence, 1804  French forces abandon Haiti  Dessalines declares Haitian independence, 1/1/1804  Dessalines declares himself Emperor of Haiti, rules Desalines with the Haitian bicolor, blue over red

Haitian Revolution in World History  Napoleon abandons idea of empire in the Americas  sells Louisiana to the USA  News spreads to the US  Rebellious slaves  Paranoid slave  Haitian government shelters Simon Bolivar, before his successful wars of independence  Toussaint Louverture becomes a hero to millions striving for freedom