The Haitian Revolution Flashcards
Saint Domingue
Prior French name of the colony on Haiti
Importance of St. Domingue
Was critical to France’s empire. This single colony produced 40% of Europe’s sugar. Largest concentration of African slaves, second only to Brazil.
Conditions on St. Domingue
Around 685,000 slaves brought to the island, and many more brought illegally from neighboring islands. Conditions were extremely harsh. Death rate = 5-10% of slaves each year.
Bi-racial People
25,000 bi-racial people by 1789, who were children of white slave owners and African slave women. Increasingly subject to discriminatory laws
Bi-racial Discrimination
Initially white slave owners allied themselves with bi-racial people as a means to help them crush any attempt at slave revolutions; however, when bi-racial population continued to grow, whites began to see them as a threat
Vincent Oge
After returning from France to petition the National Assembly, leader of St. Domingue refused to admit bi-racial people as citizens. Oge joined a rebellion force which was quickly crushed and tortured to death. Increased resentment in St. Domingue.
Francois-Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture
A former slave who led the successful rebellion in St. Domingue. France abolished slavery and extended citizenship rights to more than half a million men and women in Caribbean. L’Ouverture becomes the new leader of St. Domingue - names himself Governor General for life.
Napoleon 1802
Reinstates slavery in the colonies. Wanted to rebuild France’s power overseas. Sent army to capture L’Ouverture who later died in a French prison
Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Led one of the very few armies to defeat a Napoleonic army. Declared independence from France and renamed St. Domingue as Haiti, the old indigenous name of the island.
A New Independent State
Governed entirely by those of African descent. Bi-racial people maintained social dominance. Most Haitians live as self-sufficient farmers. Faced challenged with legacy of racialized politics.
