Haiti Or Saint Dominigue

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.

Before analyzing the significance of the Haitian Revolution, one should understand the background and history of the island. Saint-Domingue–also known as Haiti–is the western half of the Caribbean island Hispaniola.

Similar to the American Revolution, the Haitians too seeked to create a republic founded on the values of the Enlightenment - but unlike the Americans, Haiti took this a step further, by outlawing slavery and becoming the first modern nation ruled by Africans. As the French Revolution began, there was a political crisis in St. Domingue, France’s wealthiest colony, and supplier of nearly 40% of Europe’s sugar imports. Planters were threatened by the Revolution, which aimed to remove many of the privileges enjoyed by the aristocracy (who made up the planter class). Wealthy free blacks, some of who owned plantations themselves, began to demand equal rights to whites. Poor whites, felt that the Revolution did not include blacks, and imagined a new society where they had enough to own slaves themselves. Out of the chaos of this political struggle, the slave population of St. Domingue, which made up nearly 90% of the colony’s population, revolted and seized power for themselves. By 1794, Haiti had seen one of the largest, and successful, slave rebellions in the course of human

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

Haiti is located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It occupies one third of the Hispaniola Island, the other two thirds belong to its neighbor: the Dominican Republic. It measures 27, 750 sq km, just a little smaller than the state of Maryland. It is unfortunately located in a highly active hurricane area prone to storms and flooding between the months of June to October. Haiti is the poorest country of the western hemisphere. Political turmoil is part of the country’s history. Currently it counts with a democratically elected president, Michael Martelly, as Chief of State and a Prime Minister, Laurent Latmothe, as head of the government. A new president is elected every five years and the president cannot serve consecutive periods. The Prime Minister is appointed by the president and ratified by the National Assembly. The National Assembly is made up of 30 senators, elected by popular vote for six years terms and 99 deputies, also elected by popular vote, for four years terms; a little bit complex

Purpose: To understand how Haiti became what it is and all the trials it has endured

What does the average American really know about the country, Haiti? Is the lifestyle all black magic, spells, and séances? Is this media portrayal of Voodoo the only way of life and what is Voodoo, any way? These questions come to mind when someone wants to know the truth about Haitian culture and life in Haiti. Haitian culture consists of deep rooted religious beliefs, music, and Haitian cuisine.

In present day Haiti, a violent rebellion initially led by a voodoo leader gave way to the indiscriminate killing of whites in response to the physical and mental torment bonds people experienced at the hands of their masters. Haitian slaves reached a point where they felt physical violence was justified because of the harsh treatment they had endured. Even though they risked their lives, the alternative of living the rest of their lives as slaves was no longer a viable option. Ultimately, this revolt was successful, and the slaves were able to gain independence from the French. These events had a profound impact beyond Haiti and “their surprising victory sent shock waves throughout the plantations across the Americas.” Masters viewed themselves

Haiti is the second largest Caribbean Island. It occupies a third of the western part of the island it shares with the Dominican Republic. Haiti is also made up of several islands that surround the main territory. The capital is Port-au-Prince. It rains between November and March in the North of the island and between May and October in the South. “Once covered by forest, the country has been heavily logged for wood and fuel and to clear land for farming, and is now largely deforested.” Haiti is divided into “nine administrative departments.” Besides the capital, other important cities are Cap-Haitien and Gonaives.  “Haiti is the most densely populated country in Latin America and has the lowest per

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.

The United States was spilt into two sections, the Northern and the Southern states. The Southern states wanted to keep slavery, however, the Northern States fought against it. The civil war broke out in this time. President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation In 1863 which abolished slavery. (13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, 1865) However it could not go into full effect until after the Southern states surrendered in 1865. Also that same year it was added to the constitution that slavery would be illegal. (13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, 1865) In Haiti, circumstances were a bit different. The emancipation in Haiti started with salves revolting against their

Sugar, indigo, and coffee production tripled but also introduced the ideas of abolitionism, liberty, and equality on the island and the mother country. These ideas encouraged an uproar revolution to occur in France, where the outbreak in Bastille, the Borbon monarchy was overthrown, and finally the lower class of French society gained equality and freedom. Although some slaves could not read books at this time, they would listen to their masters’ concerns on the French Revolution and ideas it brought forth. The Haitian Revolution started after the uproar in Bastille. In 1791, Dutty Boukman started a war between the slaves and the colonists in the sugar plantations. Once Boukman was killed, new leaders such as Toussaint L’Ouventure , Jorge Bissaou, and Jeannot Bullet organized rebel slaves into soldiers and continued Boukman’s mission. Although France’s new government did not meet the demands of the rebel leaders to abolish slavery, the rebel leaders gained support from the Spanish. When Robespierre took over, the National Convection invited three agents of the black rebels to plead to end slavery. The National Convection voted to end slavery in its Atlantic colonies. As a result, Toussaint ended his allies with the Spanish, kept his trust in the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the citizen and ideals of the revolution would promise these ideals to the

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.

In 1791 revolution broke out in the French colony of Saint Domingue, later called Haiti. The Haitian Revolution resounded in communities surrounding the Atlantic Ocean. One of the wealthiest European outposts in the New World, the Caribbean island's western third had some of the largest and most brutal slave plantations. Slave laborers cultivated sugar, coffee, indigo, and cotton, and they endured horrible death rates, requiring constant infusions of slaves from Africa. In 1789 roughly 465,000 black slaves lived in the French colony on the island, along with fewer than 31,000 whites. In addition, there were about 23,000 free blacks and mixed-race people called gens de couleur, who might own land and accrue wealth but had no political