Colonial Slavery and The Haitian Revolt

Saint-Domingue1700’s• Was A major Sugar producing Colony for the

French– Highly intensive manual labor– The Island was split between French and Spanish

rule

• Slave owners very highly abusive towards their slaves– Violence used on slave populations which

outnumbered whites

http://i.infoplease.com/images/mapcaribbean.gif

Closer connection to Africa

• ON the Island there was a constant flow of new slaves

• West African language and culture was more prevalent on Haiti

• Language spoken was Creole(mix French and African dialects)

• Religion consisted of combination of Catholicism and native beliefs (Vodue)

Racial and Social Structure of the Island• The whites

– government official in city Port au Prince

– Wealthy Plantation Owners– Plantation Foremen

• The free people of color– Most were Mullatoes given

Freedom– White fathers often gave them

land and an education to secure higher status

• The black slaves– Many with close lines to Africa

and had the least rights• The maroons

– Escaped Slaves who lived on the outskirts of plantations

The French Revolution• The French Revolution of 1789 In France was the

spark which lit The Haitian Revolution of 1791. • French Revolutions had weakened political structure

on the Colonies• People were inspired by documents like “The Rights

of Man and Citizen”• Free Blacks were pushing for civil equality

Economic Causes

• "exclusif" on Saint-Domingue. This required that Saint-Domingue sold 100% of her exports to France alone, and purchased 100%

• here was a growing independence movement, and in this movement the white planters were united with the free people of color.

The Slave Rebellion of August 21, 1791• Uprising of the slaves

on the night of August 21st. – Maroons began to

attack plantations and other slaved joined in

– Major factor was 10-1 ratio of slaves and Whites

– Slaves would take revenge on whites

• 1792 Slaves control a large portion of the colony

Foreign Influence• 1793 France Declared War on GB– GB and Spain began to attack French troops in

Saint Domingue• Further weakening French forces

– They also provided rebellious slaves with supplies to fight French Forces

End of Slavery 1794• In France under

Maximilien Robespierre France abolished Slavery on all colonies– This was also to attempt

to control Slave rebellion• Many Former Rebels

joined the French Side in a Fight to Remove British and Spanish Forces form the Island

Social Structure after Slavery

• There was no real change in society

• Blacks still wanted full Rights• Next step was fight for

independence• Many Former Rebels joined the

French Side in a Fight to Remove British and Spanish Forces form the Island

Toussaint L’Ouverture• Was a former slave • Self Educated• Fought in initial Slave Rebellion• Then Fought for the French against Spanish

and British• As Commander he urged soldiers not to

commit atrocities• His largest Demand was free Haiti ruled by the

Black majority

His capture• He declared Haiti

Independent and set a constitution with himself as leader

• Napoleon Sent Forces to remove him from power

• A peace treaty was made to join back with France– He was then arrested and

died in France 1802

France and re-establishment of Slavery

• French Revolution was over and Napoleon was in charge– Major push by the French to re-establish slavery– This Caused the Second major uprising led by

former Black French commander Jean-Jacques Dessalines

Fight for Independence• Advantages for the Rebels– Britain was attacking France

(Napoleonic Wars)– Napoleon wanted to focus on Europe

instead of Americas• 1804 Lead by Dessalines Haiti won its

independence from France– What followed was a full attack on all

remaining whites.

Issues brought up by Haiti

• First Independent Black nation in the Americas• Most Successful Slave Uprising• Fear of other Slave holding nations of Slave

uprisings.– United States and Other nations placed embargo– France forced Haiti to pay reparations for lost

property.