Haitian+Revolution

=The Haitian Revolution =

Haiti was once Europe’s wealthiest colony. Ruled within the power held in France, Haiti is now one of the poorest nations in the world. Home to indigenous people, fortune hungry conquistadors, plantation owners, corrupted buccaneers and former slaves whom greatest dream was to finally be independent.

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The Beginning:
====French colony, Saint-Dominguez (1791-1804) experienced a series of slave revolts involving Africans and free mulattoes. After the French Revolution ceased, the war inspired the small colony to rethink their position, but before then Saint-Dominguez (present-day Haiti) was a place for the French to plant sugar, coffee, cotton, and indigo on plantations, which were treated by slave workers. Saint- Domingue was the richest colony of France; they had a slave population of __500__,000 by 1789. Also a lot of free colored people that were literate and educated (served in the military or as administrators). The slavery there though was very brutal, using torture and beatings. After putting up with the cruel life of slavery, a mulatto, Vincent Ogé led an uprising to decree equal rights, and was quickly suppressed, but it had already angered many of the white colonists. Soon Vincent was captured and executed.====

** The Haitian Revolt: **
==== In 1791, a priest named Dutty Boukman held a service in which he asked god to help the slave’s revolt. Around a week later, slaves started to rise up and take a stand. In the first couple months, slaves killed more than 2000 white people and burned at least 1000 plantations. While many white people fled for their lives, troops were sent from France to try to suppress the rebels but they failed. Boukman was killed in a battle but the rebellion was never ended. ====

** Effects in Social Classes: ** Four categories in which they were placed: The whites, The free colored people, the black slaves, & the maroons · The white’s sub- groupings: the Planters- owned plantations and many slaves (believed that France imposed strict laws which blocked out trade with anyone except for the “Mother Country”) they still made illegal trade with the US & also wanted independence of Haiti as well. The Petit Blancs- (less powerful than planters) mostly middleclass & underclass of the whites. They were more loyal to France & were anti-black, seeing free colored people as competitors · The Free Persons of Color- ½ of pop were mulattoes (children of Frenchmen and slave women), were usually freed due to the masters guilt or concern. The slaves wanted nothing to do with mulattoes. The other half was black slaves that bought their way to freedom. They were often wealthy & usually wealthier than the Petit Blancs & sometimes even wealthier than the planters. They could own their plantations and slaves. They treated slaves poorly and usually drew a distinct line btw. Themselves and the slaves. They strove to be whiter and denied their ethnic backgrounds doing everything they could to separate themselves from the slavesThere were Black slaves, Domestic slaves, & Field Hands: Black slaves were slaves of African descent. Domestic slaves usually worked in the kitchens, were personal servants, etc. (usually treated better than field hands). Field hands were the ones that worked on the plantation, they had the harshest lives. They weren’t properly fed and did not get medical help when needed. Since slaves were abundant the plantation owners found it much easier to buy a new slave than help the injured The Maroons were runaway slaves that lived in the mountains of Saint-Domingue; they kept African culture & were for anti-slavery but were not willing to fight for freedom. (Two leading generals of the early slave revolution were maroons)

People involved in the Haitian Revolution: Leger Felicite Sonthonax- was sent to insure enforcement of the April 4 th decree. When he arrived he immediately started to form alliances with the free colored people, & promised in return that the king would give them citizenship. The free colored people united with the French troops to fight the pro-independence whites and to calm the slaves

** A New Nation: ** The Haitian revolt lasted a decade which involved the French, British, and Spanish military. The Spanish, who wanted Saint-Domingue from the French, gave all of their support to the rebels. Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803) he was the leader of the rebel forces, he suppressed Europeans and some concession. In 1793 an authoritarian constitution was created in 1801 which the final conflict of revolution occurred in the battle of vertieres in 1803. In 1804 Louvertures’ successor Jean-Jacques Dessalines(1758-1806) proclaimed Haiti as a republic and him emperor Jacques I. In the new Haiti, white men were forbidden to own any sort of property. Although the majority of white men fled during the Haitian Revolution, some remained in the country. Dessalines believed that white men planned to regain control of the country therefore he ordered them massacred. He allowed few white men to become Haitian citizens; because he has said that all Haitians were black he had turned these few white men into black people.

** Haitian Republic: ** After Dessalines’ death in 1806, two other leaders took control of Haiti. After a little civil war between them, Henri Christophe and Alexandre Petion split Haiti in half. The north had Christophe as a king while the south had a democratic republic ruled by Petion. Only after 1820, Boyer combined north and south Haiti into one republic nation.

** Works cited: **Walker, William T. //Term Paper Resource Guide to Nineteenth-century World History//. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood/ABC-CLIO, 2009. Print.Corbett, Bob. "Haiti: The Revolution of 1791-1803." //Webster University//. Crl.com and Netcom.com. Web. 02 Apr. 2012."JCBL_Exhibitions." //Brown University//. Ed. Leslie Tobias Olsen. Brown University. Web. 02 Apr. 2012.Blashfield, Jean F. "The Haitian Revolution." //Haiti Enchantment of the World//. Canada: Scholastic, 208. 46-52. Print."World History: The Modern Era - Username." . Web. 02 Apr. 2012. < @http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Authentication/LogOn?returnUrl=/Search/Display/317609?terms=Haitian+Revolutio >.