Black Soldiers In The Haitian Revolution

The Haitian Revolution was one of the most important slave revolts in Latin American history. It started a succession of other revolutionary wars in Latin America and ended both colonialism and imperialism in the Americas. The Haitian Revolution affected people from all social castes in Haiti including the indigenous natives, mestizos, mulattos and the Afro-Latin. The idea of starting a rebellion against France began with the colony’s white elite class seeking a capitalist market. These elites in the richest mining and plantation economies felt that the European governments were limiting their growth and restricting free trades. However, the Afro-Latin, mestizos and mulattos turned the Haitian Revolution into a war for equality and built a new state. The Haitian Revolution, with the support of it large slave population and lower class citizens, eliminated slavery and founded the Republic of Haiti. Tin this essay I will discuss how mestizos, mulattos and the Afro-Latin Americans population in Haiti participate in the fight for independence and how they creation of new republics.

In both the Haitian and French revolutions, there were underrepresented majorities fighting again both of their unfair conditions. First, In Haiti, ninety percent of the population was slaves with brutal conditions. The slaves were beaten, whipped, used children as slaves, as well as women used as sex slaves. Haiti was one of the most and still is the most violent when it came to slavery. There were many military “murder[s] of slave owners, and guerilla warfare.” (Ghachem, 2012).

The Republic of Haiti has a unique and vibrant culture. It was once hailed as the "Pearl of the Antilles" for being the wealthiest colony in the world. This small Latin American island tells a story of slaves enduring resistance to the some of the most dominant forces abroad. In 1804, Haiti became the first free black republic and the second post-colonial country in the Americas. However, the days of being the wealthiest colony have since passed. Haiti is now considered to be the most impoverished country in the western hemisphere. The proud history of this country is overshadowed by alarming rates of poverty, violence, and inequality. This island nation’s government has been plagued with numerous military staged coups and misfortunes. I

Before beginning, a legal code was put in place regarding regulation of slavery in Haiti and surrounding areas. This code, knows as “Black Code”, regulated everything from religion, to food (Doc 1). The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was the France claim of Independence. They believed that “all men were born and remain free and equal in rights”. Haitians believed that this also applied to them, but even though authors Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson believed people in their own countries had God-given rights, Haitian slaves did not because they were African (Doc 2). A helpful extra document would be of a Haitian reaction to France’s independence not being applied to Haiti. Because, they fought for the same thing, they should not be un-included in absolute freedom. Jean-Marie d’Aguay was president of the colonial Assembly in Saint Domingue in 1790, and was quoted saying “We have not brought half a million slaves from the coast of Africa to make them into French citizens.” This quote explicitly shows the amount of racial prejudice that Haitians slaves had to withstand prior to the revolution. (Doc

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizens in 1789 was a key incentive for the Haitian Revolution of 1789-1803. This declaration was pivotal in defining the rights that all men were entitled to. For instance, the framers of the declaration proclaimed that “men are born…free and equal in respect of their civil rights…” and that all men were entitled to liberty, rights to own property, security, resistance of oppression, freedom of speech, and protection under the law. The declaration was perceived by members of society very differently. For example, the people of color view the declaration as a tool for demanding their rights. For the slaves, the declaration was a motivation to fight for their freedom. In 1789, the Haitian Revolution officially started with uprising commanded by people of color and slaves. This revolution proved to be one of the most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere, and in 1803, Haiti became the first country to gains its independence and be governed in the Americas by people of African ancestry. The Haitian Revolution completely transformed Saint Domingue, one of the most prosperous colony in the Caribbean. Considering the importance of the Haitian Revolution, it is unfortunate that there are few accounts of what was happening during the time. Yet, three very important documents that teach us about the society during the revolution are “The Ogé Insurrection”, “The Battle in the Harbor: The Testimony of a Man of Color”, and

The success and vigorous pursuit of freedom from oppression in the French Revolution inspired the Haitians to believe that they were capable of doing the same; the Haitians, being treated like animals, wanted their inherent rights. The overbearing French governing body had collapsed and the Third Estate was likely to receive a brighter future. The Haitians were still locked down as property and animals, but they craved to have the inherent rights that all men are privileged to. The French got their rights while the Haitians did not; this was quite the volatile scenario ready to fall off the self and spark revolution.

In the document titled “Rulers of Haiti, a list of each ruler from Emperor Jacques I to President Joseph Louis Borno, Haiti underwent frequent regime change. In a 30-year period (1858-1888), six out of eight Haitian presidents left office under the note “deposed by revolution.” Americans deemed political instability and violence consistent with uncivilized cultures. Consequently, Americans thought that Haitians lacked the capability of self-government, which permitted and justified a US invasion and occupation. Occupation became necessary as what Plummer referred to a “logical consequence” to Haiti’s turbulent political climate. Even Blacks welcomed the occupation for they could not longer abide and watch Haiti become an “embarrassment, and irritation” on the historical nature of Haiti’s existence: the only Black governed republic. However, this sentiment amongst Blacks did not last. Once they became excluded from political actions regarding Haiti, they began setting the foundations for opposition to the

The French Revolution moved through three distinct stages. The first was the goal of a constitutional monarchy, the next was radical republicans that sought to transform french society, and third was the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. The Haitian Revolution; comprised of an increase in resentment among the population (the majority of which were slaves), followed by a large slave-led rebellion, and then became the second nation in the western hemisphere to gain independence from european power (after the United States). The Haitian and French Revolutions are notably similar. After all, the Haitian Revolution was inspired

For the most part, the interaction between the colonizers of Haiti—the Spanish and the French—was negative, and lastingly so. Haiti has remained a turbulent and impoverished landscape. Social and economic indicators remain doggedly low, year after year. Haiti, although technically independent as of 1804, has never been able to support itself. There is a lot of heartfelt sympathy for Haiti, and the hope is that the legacy of colonization is not unending fate. But it will take a lot of work to get Haiti to a place of true freedom and independence, and sometimes outside help, however well intentioned, only unwittingly fuels the legacy.

When you think of the abolishment of slavery, what is the first place you think of? Was it the United States? Maybe even Africa? Although these two regions are well discussed in the history of slavery there are for more areas that were involved. For the purpose of this paper, the two regions that have been chosen are the United States and Haiti. The United States was colonized by a mix of different races. The most predominant were English settlers and Haiti was predominantly French settlers. These two regions bought, sold and traded slaves by the use of the Transatlantic Slave trade. However, both the United States and Haiti played a significant role in the abolishment of slavery.

The Haitian Revolution is based on the political purpose that France had when they fought to possess Saint-Domingue (now called Haiti). France, like other empires at the time, was trying to extend its wealth and power. Therefore, possessing Haiti, having a lot of gold, sugar, coffee, indigo and others were one way to be strong and powerful. Being driven by the profits that Haiti were emanating, African slaves were continuously brought to Haiti, first to replace the Aboriginals that had died previously, but also to increase their profits. This led to the slaves outnumbering the French colonizers. Later on, the free people of color were demanding more right to the French government and after their refusal, the slaves and the free people of color revolted which led to the Haitian revolution (Simpsons 1942, 487). The French colonizers were already struggling about the equality between themselves because there was a hierarchy present within the White community. Moreover, what created a reaction to help slaves to revolt was the “religious ceremony performed at Bois Caïman by the Maroon voodoo priest Dutty Boukman, which was attended by representative slaves from several plantations” (Laguerre 1989, 1). Boukman called the help of the spirits to revolt against the white colonists. The revolution of Haiti in 1804 was a social and political uprising in the French Colony of Saint-Domingue. Voodoo rapidly became Haiti’s way out of slavery, as it helped them reunite together and gain the

The Haitian revolution took place in Saint-Domingue, a French colony and one of the richest of all European colonies in the Caribbean, on the western part of the island of Hispaniola, a major center of sugar production with hundreds of prosperous plantations. The population of the colony comprised of three groups, the white colonials, the gens de couleur, and the slaves. Many slaves ran away and established maroon communities that were self-sustained. As more and more slaves ran away, more and more slaves were being imported from Africa and other Caribbean islands, which resulted in the high prices of slaves. Since the French aided the North American colonists in their war for independence, they sent several hundreds of gens de couleur to the colonies. Once they returned to Saint-Domingue, they wanted independence themselves from the French.

“Kingdom of this World” is a story of succession, freedom, imprisonment, and despair. It is the stories of the different slaves and owners of the Haitian revolution. Ti Noell, one of the main slaves talked about in this book, is shown going through a constant struggle throughout his entire life. It also tells the story of M. Lenormand de Mézy, a slave owner who relies on riches and sins to fuel his life. This book shows the revolution through actual stories from these people. It makes it easier to understand what the revolution was actually like. Throughout this paper I will tell how this book supports, and devalues the Haitian revolution.

The formulation of the National Assembly in St. Domingue gave way to numerous minor revolts, which occurred. Therefore, this factor was also responsible for the outbreak of the Haitian revolution. The grand blancs denied the mulattoes representation in the assembly, but later on, managed to pacify the colored’s by allowing them equality with the whites in the military. However, in

In this article the author claims that the fact that the European and the USA refused to recognized Haitian governments after the declaration of its independence, strengthened the political regime of President Jean-Pierre Boyer, which provoked the rise of a whole nation. During the Haitian Revolution, Haiti became a place of destination for many West Indian slaves that were trying to escape. By guaranteeing to these fugitive a certain protection President Boyer was indirectly punishing the British for not formally recognizing the Republic’s