Part 5 - The Haitian Revolution Flashcards
What was the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
A centuries-long commerce where European traders forcibly transported millions of Africans to the Americas for enslavement. This trade was integral to the economic development of the New World but caused immense human suffering and long-lasting societal impacts.
What was the Middle Passage?
The harrowing sea journey endured by enslaved Africans from West Africa to the Americas, forming the central leg of the transatlantic slave trade. Conditions were brutal, with high mortality rates due to overcrowding, disease, and mistreatment.
What are Maroons?
Communities of escaped enslaved people in the Americas who established independent settlements, often in remote areas.
In Haiti, maroon societies played a significant role in resisting colonial oppression and contributed to the revolutionary movements.
What were the social classes in colonial Haiti?
Colonial Haiti’s society was stratified into several groups: white plantation owners (grands blancs), free people of color (affranchis), poor whites (petits blancs), and enslaved Africans. These divisions fostered tensions that eventually fueled the Haitian Revolution.
Who were the Affranchis?
Free people of color in colonial Haiti, often of mixed African and European descent. Despite their freedom and, in some cases, wealth, they faced legal and social discrimination, motivating their push for equal rights.
Who was Toussaint Louverture?
A former enslaved person who became a central leader of the Haitian Revolution. His military and political acumen were instrumental in abolishing slavery in Haiti and establishing the first black-led republic.
The Connection Between the French Revolution and the Haitian Revolution
The French Revolution (1789–1799) propagated ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity, which resonated in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). Inspired by these principles, various groups in Haiti, including enslaved individuals and free people of color, sought to claim their rights, leading to the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). The success of the Haitian Revolution even influenced France to abolish slavery in 1794.
The Response of People in Haiti to the French Revolution
The French Revolution’s Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen inspired different groups in Haiti to seek more freedom. In May 1791, Paris granted French citizenship to landowners—which included some affranchis and excluded some whites—leading to civil war. A general slave revolt in August started the revolution. Its success pushed France to abolish slavery in 1794, and the Haitian Revolution outlasted the French Revolution.
