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Part V: The Haitian Revolution Session 7 HAITI: The First Black Republic of the Americas Why Haiti Matters Haiti, “Pearl of the Antilles” Haiti on the Eve of Revolt

The White Population: Disunity, Independence, Abolitionism, Revolution

The Free Coloureds: Ambiguity, Military Experience

African Slaves August, 1791—August, 1793 Toussaint Louverture 1802-1804 The Immediate Aftermath

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Why Haiti Matters

racial equality, abolition of slavery, decolonization, nationhood inspiration and threat opened the horizons of the possible

Haiti, “Pearl of the Antilles”

By the late 1700s, Haiti produced almost 50% of all sugar consumed in Europe and the Americas

Most profitable colony in the Caribbean By 1789, 8,000 plantations producing for export; generating two-fifths

of France’s foreign trade Haiti’s exports worth 1/3 more than all of the British West Indies

combined Strategic significance: secure naval base

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Haiti on the Eve of Revolt

500,000 slaves, 40,000 whites, and over 30,000 free coloreds The White Population: Disunity, Independence, Abolitionism, Revolution

Intra-White class conflict Profitability, ideas of independence from France Model of the independent US, growing trade with the US Reaction against Les amis des noirs Disruption of French Revolution of 1789

The Free Coloureds: Ambiguity, Military Experience

Gens de couleur outnumbered whites in two of three provinces; some rich planters, educated in France

Still faced discrimination Ambiguous position in the “mulatto” category—relatives could be both whites and slaves

Dominated the police force, strong element of the military Disaffection: returning regiments from Georgia; failed promises of French Revolution

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African Slaves 30,000 arrivals from Africa per year Intra-African creolization

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August, 1791—August, 1793

Destroyed over 1,000 plantations Believed that King Louis XVI had already freed them, French Revolution had reversed their rights

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April, 1792, free coloureds granted full equality under the law Complete abolition of slavery on August 29, 1793 British and Spanish occupations—equipped and trained those that would eventually turn against the planters, and foreign occupiers

Toussaint Louverture Toussaint Bréda Coachman freed acquired property, then slaves Rose to military prominence under Spanish occupiers To gain full leadership, fought the forces of André Rigaud (black general in the south)

Army of 40,000 men: sustained by forced labour of peasants, even reintroduced slave trade temporarily; ex-slaves on plantations had a right to a share of the produce and profit

Did not break up large estates Annexed Santo Domingo (now: Dominican Republic), then under French occupation in 1801—direct conflict with Napoleon Bonaparte

Invasion in 1802 by General Charles Leclerc (Napoleon’s brother in-law) Louverture, Henri Christophe, Jean-Jacques Dessalines; reversals

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1802-1804 July, 1802, Haiti’s population learns of French plans to reintroduce slavery United rebellion; Christophe & Dessalines join the rebellion France admits defeat by May, 1803 January 1, 1804, Dessalines declares independence of Saint Domingue, taking the Amerindian name of Haiti—“avenging America”

Amerindian symbolism; break with Europe Whites forbidden to own land Yet, in 1825, agreement to pay France indemnity for expelled colonists (150 million gold francs, later reduced to 90 million); large debt lasting well into the 20th century (1947), totaling an estimated $21 billion to $40 billion

Neo-colony, under foreign economic domination

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The Immediate Aftermath towns and plantations in ruins constant threat of another French invasion decimated population government lacking experience, expertise rise of peasant economy large army Henry Christophe ( 1806-1820), continued effots to revive sugar plantations with forced labor; by 1830, efforts to revive sugar failed

Vodou religion, entrenched in the countryside, still persecuted, later manipulated

Government: military and authoritarian Dessalines declared himself emperor, assassinated in 1806 For 14 years, Haiti divided between a mulatto republic in the South and West and a northern state, ruled by Henry Christophe, became a monarchy in 1811

black officer corps which controlled the army vs. brown-skinned professional and business class

Divisions between black and mulatto became institutionalized