Haitian Revolution (1791–1804)

A Haitian Revolution (1791–1804) is a slave uprising that transformed into a broader social revolution, achieving abolitionism and establishing national independence.

• Context:
  • It can have lead to Political Change and Social Transformation in the late 18th Century.
  • It can (often) involve multiple social classes and ethnic groups, from African Slaves to European Colonizers.
  • It can range from being a Peaceful Protest (~1791) to a being a Violent Armed Conflict (1791–1804)]].
  • It can result in National Independence for a colonized region during the late 18th Century and early 19th Century.
  • It can influence other Atlantic Revolutions and contribute to the global discourse on Human Rights and Equality.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • an Initial Slave Uprising (1791) marked by the Bois Caïman Ceremony that ignited the revolution.
  • the Proclamation of Abolition of Slavery (1793) by Toussaint Louverture, aligning with the French Republic against colonial and slaveholding powers.
  • the Constitution of 1801 issued by Toussaint Louverture, declaring himself governor for life and seeking greater autonomy for Saint-Domingue.
  • the Capture of Toussaint Louverture (1802) and subsequent resumption of the struggle under leaders like Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
  • the Declaration of Independence (1804) by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, marking the establishment of Haiti as the first black republic and the culmination of the revolution.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Spartacus Revolution (73-71 BC), a slave uprising led by Spartacus against the Roman Republic.
  • Cuban Revolution (1953–1959)s, which focused primarily on political ideology rather than abolitionism.
• See: Atlantic Revolutions, French Revolutionary Wars, 1804 Haiti Massacre.

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References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Revolution Retrieved:2024-5-7.
  • The Haitian Revolution (1791–1804) (or ; ) was a successful insurrection by self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti.

    The revolt began on 22 August 1791, and ended in 1804 with the former colony's independence. It involved black, biracial, French, Spanish, British, and Polish participants—with the ex-slave Toussaint Louverture emerging as Haiti's most prominent general. The revolution was the only known slave uprising in human history that led to the founding of a state which was both free from slavery (though not from forced labour) and ruled by non-whites and former captives. The successful revolution was a defining moment in the history of the Atlantic World and the revolution's effects on the institution of slavery were felt throughout the Americas. The end of French rule and the abolition of slavery in the former colony was followed by a successful defense of the freedoms the former slaves had won, and with the collaboration of already free people of color, of their independence from white Europeans. The revolution was the largest slave uprising since Spartacus' unsuccessful revolt against the Roman Republic nearly 1,900 years earlier, and challenged long-held European beliefs about alleged black inferiority and about slaves' ability to achieve and maintain their own freedom. The rebels' organizational capacity and tenacity under pressure inspired stories that shocked and frightened slave owners in the hemisphere. Compared to other Atlantic revolutions, the events in Haiti have received comparatively little public attention in retrospect: historian Michel-Rolph Trouillot characterizes the historiography of the Haitian Revolution as being "silenced" by that of the French Revolution.

2016

• (Wikipedia, 2016) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Revolution Retrieved:2016-12-10.
  • The Haitian Revolution was a successful anti-slavery and anti-colonial insurrection that took place in the former French colony of Saint Domingue that lasted from 1791 until 1804. It impacted the institution of slavery throughout the Americas. Self-liberated slaves destroyed slavery at home, fought to preserve their freedom, and with the collaboration of mulattoes, founded the sovereign state of Haiti. It led to the greatest slave uprising since Spartacus, who led an unsuccessful revolt against the Roman Republic nearly 1,900 years prior. The Haitian Revolution was the only slave uprising that led to the founding of a state free from slavery and ruled by non-whites and former captives. With the increasing number of Haitian Revolutionary Studies in the last few decades, it has become clear that the event was a defining moment in the racial histories of the Atlantic World. The legacy of the Revolution was that it challenged long-held beliefs about black inferiority and of the enslaved person's capacity to achieve and maintain freedom. The rebels' organizational capacity and tenacity under pressure became the source of stories that shocked and frightened slave owners.

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