Often the term “revolution” makes one think of the Revolutionary War in the American colonies. However, a revolution implies monumental economic, political, and/or social change and the American colonies’ standing in all three of these categories remained relatively the same after the war was over. However, right in their ‘backyard’ Saint Domingue (present day Haiti, but it will be referred to it by its colonial name unless it is being talked about it after its revolution) was on its way to a revolution at the end of the 1700s A.D. and during the mid to late 1800s A.D. multiple wars were fought in Cuba for their independence. From a logistical perspective, both attempts at revolution had several similarities. Both areas were under colonial …show more content…
The slaves that resisted used multiple methods, including: running away, sabotage, faking sicknesses, self-mutilation, and mocking of authorities. During the Insurrection period in Saint Domingue from about 1791 to 1798 there were three different groups fighting against France: slaves, free people of mixed race, and whites. Each group had different reasons why they were unhappy under France’s rule. In the end, France made concessions to the whites and free people of mixed race to keep the two groups content and make sure their slave economy could stay in place. This, however, did not last long as both groups soon learned that France would repeatedly go back on the bargains it made with different groups. The conflict with the Spanish helped escalate problems, but eventually a black slave named Toussaint Louverture switched sides and helped France drive the Spanish out. He climbed up the political ladder and soon found himself beneath only the governor of the island, whom he had great sway with. This grab for leadership would continue to push whites to leave Saint Domingue, making it easier for the former slaves and free people of mixed race to overthrow the previous social and political structure. Under the dictatorship of Toussaint it was unclear who his loyalty was to, and thus he was unseated from power not long after he gained it. One of the biggest flaws in his leadership was when he attempted to establishing an agricultural
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.
A revolution, by definition, is the overthrow of one government followed by replacement with another. The American Revolution against the British during 1775 to 1783 and the French Revolution pitting the French people against their own government during 1789 to 1799 were both very important political and social turnovers. This movement towards the establishment of a constitutional government influenced political thought throughout the world. By closely examining three of the main causes of these revolutions, it is clear that although the two revolutions have their differences, the basis of cause for the revolutions have, overall, much stronger similarities.
By 1792, the French had sent troops in to try and restore order. These battles differed from the battles in the United States because they centered on ideas of racial equality. Poorly treated slaves and angry mixed race citizens fought not only for their right to have an independent nation, but for a literal freedom and equality for themselves. When Toussaint L’Overture, a former slave, took over the Haitian armies in 1793, he was fighting both the British and the French, two armies fighting to possess an island rich in resources, including the slaves who were fighting against them. He was a powerful leader and an intelligent military strategist, and his capacity to control the rebelling slaves greatly improved their organization. Battles with the French dragged on until 1803, when Napoleon no longer had the resources to sustain the warfare and withdrew his troops. By 1804, Haiti was an independent republic governed by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who in a final expression of racial tension had the remaining white citizens massacred. Both the United States and Haiti helped secure their independence through successful military campaigns, but Haiti’s independence had race as a focal point in a way colonists of the United States did not
From 1750 to 1914, several important revolutionary processes occurred in the Americas, including those of North America and Latin America. The North American and Spanish American Revolutions were similar in that they both shared the common goal of liberation from the foreign colonial governments that ruled over them. However they differed in that there was no goal for social reform in the American Revolution, but in the Haitian Revolution the slaves had the goal of social reform of the rigid social class system. Another difference between the revolutionary processes in the two regions is that the American Revolution was successful and had stable and positive long-term outcomes, but the Haitian Revolution and Latin American Revolution were
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.
The British had the idea of mercantilism where a the economys wealth was judged by how much gold and silver it had, the colonies supplied the mother land with materials and then the mother country produced products to sell back to the colonies
Toussaint L’ouverture was not only a good liberator but he was also a great ruler of Saint Domingue. Saint Domingue was not a good country without Toussaint. Toussaint was a great leader for Saint Domingue and changed their lives forever. He wrote a document that restricted the slaves. (Doc. C) He created this document so that the slaves are free but, they still have to follow the rules like all the others. Toussaint also created a proclamation stating that “Any individual… tending to incite sedition shall be brought before a court martial and be punished in conformity with the law.” (Doc. D) Toussaint states here that if any slave that breaks the law will go to the military court and be punished with the law. He uses this law to help all the
The Latin American revolution did not fulfill the goals of the revolution. Although they gained independence from Spain, the social construct did not change. This is the opposite of the Haitian Revolution. In Haiti, the slaves fought against slavery in many violent protest including burning of plantations. Ultimately, the whole social construct reversed from French officials and les grands blancs on top and the slaves on the bottom to les grands blancs not being a part of society and the slaves on top. In the long run, the large plantations supported the whole economy of Haiti and once slavery was abolished, the small farms did not come close to the same profit. In this way, the economical impact of the revolution was not successful, but the
How did the French Revolution impact events on San Domingue (Haiti)? What did the revolution mean for the French? For Haitians? Why was this both contradictory and dangerous?
Who was Toussaint Louverture? Looking at Haitian history, it is clear that he was a great leader in several different aspects of the things he did to reach his largest goal, which was abolishing slavery in his land of Saint Domingue. Throughout joining revolts, leading militaries, and reacting to people challenging his opinion, Toussaint had to go through a lot to meet the end result of what he believed in. As well as facing his enemies, he had to switch the sides of his own self to keep on fighting toward his end goal. Toussaint Louverture should be remembered for his actions among those who resided in Saint Domingue for making him a liberator of slaves, a ruler of the land, and a smart military commander.
b. Dessalines, who had commanded the black and the mulatto forces during the final phase of the revolution, became the new country's leader; he ruled under the dictatorial 1801 constitution. The land he governed had been devastated by years of warfare. The agricultural base was all but destroyed, and the population was uneducated and largely unskilled. Commerce was virtually nonexistent. Contemplating this bleak situation, Dessalines determined, as Toussaint had done, that a firm hand was needed.
The Haitian revolution had tremendous repercussions in the social, political and economic arenas of the world, but especially for the relationship with the neighboring nation of the Dominican Republic. In order to understand the development of the Dominican-Haitian relationship after the Haitian revolution one must examine how the two colonies of Hispanola dealt with each other before it. Throughout history there has been constant stress between the interactions of these nations, yet there is no easy explanation for what has caused it. In effect, it has been an accumulation of events which has allowed for the present relationship to evolve.
A revolution is known as being an activity or movement designed to effect fundamental changes in the socioeconomic situation. Cuba during the decade of the 1950's experienced this type of rebellion in search for an enhanced and better-developed society, independent of all outside domination. Cuban citizens were at a point where they needed to be free and be able to enforce the constitution established in 1940, which included amendments stating that Cuba should be a "democratic republic shall not conclude or ratify pacts or treaties that in any form limit or menace national sovereignty or the integrity of the territory," and such. I chose this topic because there has been so much controversy
Toussaint Louverture organized an army of twenty thousand that controlled most of Saint-Domingue and spread a constitution that granted equality and citizenship to all of its residents. However, he did not want to declare independence from France because he did not want to aggravate Napoleon Bonaparte into attacking the island, which he ended up doing later. After his death following his arrest, the black generals that succeeded Toussaint defeated the French troops that survived yellow fever and had driven them out of the colony. In late 1803, they declared independence, the establishment of Haiti soon followed. Although they had abolished French rule, French is the main language spoken in Haiti today. The victory of the Haitian revolution signifies the first and only successful slave revolt in modern
During the eighteenth century there was one central political cause for the French Revolution. King Louis XVI was a weak ruler who endured a lavish lifestyle. He disregarded the people’s needs, leaving much of the French population in discontent. Prior to the revolution the form of government was Absolute monarchy led by Louis XVI. The problem with absolute monarchy was that people were denied basic rights, and a say in government because the divine right theory was abused. The King ruled by the divine right of theory which