Haiti under French Rule

Haiti before and during the Haitian Revolution

Haiti’s origins

• Known as Saint Domingue• The whole island, known as

Hispaniola, was settled by the Spanish in the late 1400s.• The French convinced pirates to

settle there and start sugar plantations as a way of making money

Plantations• The sugar plantations made Haiti

the most profitable and valuable colony!• It produced 40% of Europe’s

sugar and 60% of Europe’s coffee• Had the second highest

concentration of slaves• African slaves made up about

90% of Haiti’s population in the early 1800s.

Social System

White Planters – owned plantations and slaves

Wealthy free people of color – 24,800 in the late 1700s. Served in the militia, owned plantations

Poor Whites – artisans, laborers

Slaves

Change in France

• King Louis XVI (who you remember had his head chopped off) abolished slavery

Independence from France?

• White planters want independence from France so they can create a democracy and govern Saint Domingue• May 1791, National Assembly gives French

citizenship to all free men of color in Haiti• August 1791 – slave revolt breaks out in Saint

Domingue

Toussaint Louverture

• One of the leaders of the slave revolt.• France was now fighting the Spanish,

English, and slaves in Haiti…• Feb 4 1794 – France frees the slaves• Freedom and French citizenship for

every slave in Haiti…until Napoleon

Napoleon reinstates slavery

• To fund his wars, Napoleon looks to the profitable and valuable Saint Domingue for money• Best way to make a profit? Had slaves

work on plantations.• Napoleon reinstates slavery.• Toussaint Louverture arrested and

sent to France, dies in prison

Napoleon gives up

• The Haitians destroyed the French troops stationed on the island, so Napoleon calls the surviving troops back• Saint Domingue declared independent, renamed to Haiti

Why is Haiti important?

1. Second free country in the Americas (after the United States)

2. One of the most successful slave revolts EVER.3. First modern nation to be governed by people of

African descent4. Destroyed Napoleon’s attempts at building a

global empire

Crash Course Video

https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/crash-course1/crash-course-world-history/you-aint-the-boss-of-me/v/crash-course-world-history-30