Haitian Revolution

The Haitian Revolution, in the eyes of many, represents the most thorough case study of revolutionary change anywhere in the history of the modern world. Indeed, it can be argued that it was the force behind the abolition of slavery in the Caribbean. After over 10 years of battle, enslaved Africans were able to overturn the colonial status of Haiti by successfully defeating the great military powers of the world and establishing a new political state led by formerly enslaved Africans in the Western Hemisphere. As a French colony for less than a century, Saint-Domingue (as Haiti was known during colonial times) became the center of a historical drama that has effectively reshaped and challenged the ideals of freedom and liberty that were being played out in the French and American Revolutions. The Haitian Revolution struck a blow to the racist European and North American view of a hierarchical world forever dominated by white people.

Stumbled upon by Christopher Columbus in 1492, and renamed by him Hispaniola, meaning “Little Spain,” the territory of Saint-Domingue was a favorite target for raids by English, Dutch, and French buccaneers whose base was an island off the northwest coast of Saint-Domingue called Tortuga (which takes its name from La Tortue, meaning “The Turtle”). As incursions increased, and as the French began to outnumber the other pirates, a battle ensued for territorial control. The battle came to an end in 1697 with the Treaty of Ryswich that concluded the War of Grand Alliance. In the treaty, France claimed and Spain ceded the western third of the island of Santo Domingo (as the Spanish referred to the island).

In the ensuing years, immigrants from France populated Saint-Domingue, for they saw that great profits could be made in the production and exportation of sugar, indigo, coffee, and cocoa from the island. Saint-Domingue attracted those who wanted to make a quick profit, as well as those, like ex-convicts, who were looking to start a new life. These people gladly settled there, but the same could certainly not be said about the hundreds of thousands of Africans who were imported and enslaved to provide free labor so that French planters could achieve their grand dreams of wealth. By 1791, Saint-Domingue had become the wealthiest of France's territorial possessions, accounting for 40% of its foreign trade. As such, it was often referred to as “the pearl of the Antilles.” The astonishing wealth accumulated by French planters became renowned, and the expression “wealthy as a Creole” became common in France.