1. French and Haitian Revolutions

2. Impetus for French Revolution
French soldiers returned after Amer Rev full of republicanism
French government almost bankrupt from wars and aid to America, need higher taxes
King Louis XVI calls Estates General meeting = clergy + nobility (2%) and “third estate” (everybody else)

3. Class Dissension Privileged, prestigious, wealthy = resist new taxes
New middle class professionals = offended by remaining power of privileged
Commoners = rising price of bread, income declines, increased unemployment
Peasants = hate dues paid to landlord , taxes to state, tithe to church, & required work on public roads (w/no $)

4. Revolution takes hold
3rd estate organizes National Assembly, claiming sole authority, draws up Dec of Rts of Man
Different: Amer rev = colonial relationship had tensions; French rev = conflicts within society
Amer sought to restore or build on earlier freedoms, French see themselves starting from scratch = new order

5. So then what happened?... Much more violent = gets out of control
Peasants attack castles of lords
Executed King and Queen = shocking all of Europe

6. Assembly experiments/changes
Abolishing slavery (doesn’t last)
Universal male suffrage (also temporary)
End privileges of aristocrats and feudalism
Sell church lands for revenue
Put priests under government authority

7. Reign of Terror Maximilien Robespierre “Committee of Public Safety”
Turns into “Reign of Terror”
10’s of 1,000’s die in guillotine = enemies of Revolution
Robespierre himself actually arrested and guillotined = accused of tyranny and dictatorship

8. French Republic 83 new departments with new names
World’s largest army = 800k
Army led by middle/lower classes = representing nation
Titles vanish
Men join political clubs, serve on local committees
State replaced Catholic Church
Notre Dame becomes (temporarily) “Temple of Reason”

9. French Women French women active during revolution
Stormed the Bastille (armory)
7k women march on Versailles, storm the royal apartments, kidnap queen, force back to Paris
Petitioned their complaints = lack of educ, male competition for female jobs, prostitution = form 60 women’s clubs – claim to be 3rd estate of the 3rd estate

10. Women put in their place
Women gaining power in France threatens men
Ban all women’s clubs
Woman who domineers is NOT a woman
No political rights for women

11. That escalated quickly…
French influence spreads through conquest under Napolean Bonaparte = great general, seizes power
Kept social equality, but got rid of liberty = dictatorship
Europe under his control, largest empire since Rome
Religious tolerance, codifies laws
French domination resisted by others = national ideas surface in Russia and Britain who bring down Napolean

12. What about France’s colonies?
French Caribbean colony of Saint Domingue = Haiti
Richest colony in world! = produces 40% of world’s sugar and 50% of world’s coffee on 8k plantations

13. Haitian demographics Petits blancs = poor whites (blancs 40k total)
Grands blancs = rich white landowners
Free people of color = 30k
Slave labor force = 500k (almost 2/3 French army!)

14. Demographic positions
Grands blancs wanted greater autonomy for colony
Petits blancs wanted equality of citizenship
Blancs oppose equal treatment of free people of color
To slaves, all these personal freedom discussions challenged the entire slave labor system!

15. Revolt!!
Revolt begins when rumors start regarding the French king declaring an end to slavery
Slaves burned 1k plantations, killed hundreds of whites
Brutality, massacres, etc. = power shifted to slaves

16. The Result…
Toussaint Louverture = former slave overcame resistance, outmaneuvered foreign powers, defeated Napolean!
Only successful slave revolt in all of World History!
Became equal, free, independent citizens = 2nd independent republic in the Americas

17. So now what?...
Define Haitian citizens as “black” and legally equal regardless of class, refuted preference for lighter skin
Whites NOT allowed citizenship
Plantation system destroyed, private lands redistributed
Farmers went back to producing for their own needs.

18. In the long run… France charges Haiti an “independence debt”
Burden lasts over a century; hurts economy even today
Inspired disobedience among slaves elsewhere
Energized abolitionist movement; yet at same time made elites buckle down even more on slave behavior
Slavery expands elsewhere to take up slack for economy
US split into
N vs. S over issue