Transcript Colonial Slavery and The Hatian Revolt

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
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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
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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.