Saint-Domingue

Island of Hispaniola (relative to U.S.)

1791: THE REACTION…

• Secretly, word passes between the plantation commanders…. They come together in a forest to pledge allegiance in a voodoo ritual officiated by a maroon leader named Dutty BoukmanThe largest slave revolt the colony has ever seen has begun…

Independence is nearly won….- In 1794, slavery was abolished by the National Convention- But:

> Saint-Domingue was attacked by both the British and the Spanish > The French still want to keep the colony, while some revolutionaries want independence

Ten Years Later: 1801

…But after 10 years of war, the economy is a mess:- plantations are producing only one fifth of their

former yield- one third of the former slaves are dead- most of the white planters have fled, taking their

money and expertise with them

Ten Years Later: 1801

…But after 10 years of war, the economy is a mess:- plantations are producing only one fifth of their

former yield- one third of the former slaves are dead- most of the white planters have fled, taking their

money and expertise with them

Ten Years Later: 1801

The leaders of the revolution, many of them affranchis, want to get the plantations going again;

but to do so they must kick off the freed slaves who have moved in to do subsistence farming… and make them work for wages

Much of the success of the revolution so faris due to this man…

TOUSSAINT L’OVERTURE

• At this point, although still a French colony,l’Overture is granted nearabsolute power

• He calls a centralassembly to writea new constitution

…but first the newly-forming country must decide:

The choice:

Direction no. 1 Direction no. 2• Send everyone back to work

on the plantations (for wages)• Rebuild the export market• Keep slavery illegal but remain a

part of France; she will help us with expertise and protection

• Divide the land among the population

• Produce goods to support the local market first, not the export market

• Expel all the Whites and declare total independence from France

Back in France, another decision is being pondered:

Hmmm…

Back in France, another decision is being pondered:

The choice:

Direction no. 1 Direction no. 2• Accept and confirm l’Overture

as governor of the colony. Assure the people of their liberty, but make sure they exclusively trade with France

• Re-invade Saint-Domingueand put an end once and forall to these thoughts ofindependence. Force people back to work on the plantations so we can rebuild the economy.

Back in France, another decision is being pondered:

The choice:

Direction no. 1 Direction no. 2• Accept and confirm l’Overture

as governor of the colony. Assure the people of their liberty, but make sure they exclusively trade with France

• Re-invade Saint-Domingueand put an end once and forall to these thoughts ofindependence. Force people back to work on the plantations so we can rebuild the economy.

• The following yearNapoleon re-invades

• l’Overture is taken backto France where he dies in prison

• The following yearNapoleon re-invades

• l’Overture is taken backto France where he dies in prison

• In Nov. 1803, France surrenders

• The following yearNapoleon re-invades

• l’Overture is taken backto France where he dies in prison

• In Nov. 1803, France surrenders

• Feb. 1804 – the white minority is massacred; freed slaves maintain their individual land holdings, most as subsistence farmers

• 1805 – a new constitution is written

2015: Haiti today

• The majority of Haitians are subsistence farmers; the country has a very small market economy

• It has been nearly entirely deforested• It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere