The Haitian Revolution By: Emma Greenspan and Julianne Huynh

Background Spanish colony (eastern part) French colony (western part) Richest of all European colonies in the Caribbean Sugar, coffee, & cotton was one-third of France’s foreign trade Major sugar production Formally called Saint-Domingue

Three Major Groups White Colonials divided into three classes European born French- monopolized colonial administrative posts Plantation Owners- minor aristocrats, hoped to return to France Low-class whites- laborers gens de couleur (People of Color) Mulattoes and blacks Slaves Mulattoes and African-born

Cause Because ideas and example from French Revolution spread to Haiti Slaves were worked so hard and received little care Effect ● Lit several fuses and set off violence in the colony ● High mortality rate

Cause Conflict between black slaves & white planters Plantation owners were vastly outnumbered by slaves Effect ● High Mortality rate ● They lived in constant fear of slave rebellion

Cause Large maroon communities, who maintained their own societies and attacked plantations for food, weapons, & recruits Effect ● Plantation owners had to import more slaves from Africa & other Caribbean islands

Cause Because Boukman organized a slave revolt French, British, and Spanish troops came to intervene Effect ● The slaves began killing white settlers, burning homes, and destroying plantations ● complicated situation by causing more chaos

Cause Because Louveture was once a slave, and then became an overseer Led the people (mainly slaves) that controlled most of Saint-Domingue Effect ● He helped masters escape then joined rebels to fight ● Overcame internal resistance & foreign powers and defeated an attempt by Napoleon

Cause promulgated a constitution Louverture didn’t want to provoke Napoleon to attack the island Effect ● Granted equality & citizenship to all residents ● He stopped short of declaring total independence from France

Aftermath - Early 19th century “Slaves - became equal, free, and independent citizens.” Threw off French colonial rule Became 2nd independent republic in the Americas 1st non-European state Saint-Domingue → Haiti (mountainous/rugged) Plantation system was destroyed, which provided most of the export of coffee and sugar → a nation of small-scale farmers & small export sector