The Haitian Revolution

1

• The Haitian Revolution

2
What was the situation in Haitibefore 1791?

• France controlled the western part of the Island.
• Near the end of the 18th century, 500,000 to
• 700,000 people, mainly of western African
• origin, were enslaved by the French.
• French plantation owners were watching the
• events of the French Revolution.

3
What was Haitian slavery like?

• The conditions on the island were the
• worst in the world.
• The death rate of slaves was around 50.
• Most died of overwork in the sugar, coffee, rice,
  and indigo plantations.
• Torture of slaves who resisted was
• common.
• Most slaves had memories of freedom in Africa

4
Why did slaves revolt in Haiti first?

• Because slaves outnumber whites 10 to 1,
• slaves were allowed to keep their African
• customs.
• Vodou (Vodon) was widely practiced
• among the slaves.
• This religion gave the slaves a form of
• cultural expression and rallying point for
  protest against their oppressors.

5
What is Vodou?

• Combined elements of Roman Catholicism
• and tribal religions of western Africa,
  particularly Benin.
• Worship a high god, Bon Dieu ancestors or, more
  generally, the dead.
• Practiced in Haiti, Cuba, Trinidad, Brazil,
• and the southern United States, especially
• Louisiana

6
How did the revolt begin?

• The upper, middle, and Mulatto classes
• were at odds with each other.
• Black slaves rebelled against their owners in
  1791 taking advantage of the situation.
• Killed whites and destroyed plantations
• Boukman led over one hundred thousand
• slaves against the vastly outnumbered and
• infinitely hated French

7
What role did ToussaintL'Ouverture play?

• Former slave who wanted to ensure the revolution
  took hold.
• 50 year old carriage driver.
• Began organizing slaves into military units.
• Did not participate in the original uprising.
• Organized the military to fight the French,
• Spanish, and English.
• All three countries wanted to control the
  island
• and ensure failure of slave revolt.

8
How did L'Ouverture beat theFrench, Spanish, and
English?

• Joined forces with the Spanish army against the
• French.
• rose to high rank within the Spanish
  army.
• When France abolished slavery, he switched
• sides.
• Promoted to General in the French
  Army.
• Toussaint Louverture ruled the colony as the
• French governor-general.
• Forced the British troops to withdraw.
• Defeated a mulatto group in the south in
  a bloody
• race war.

9
What happened to L'Ouverture?

• Liberated the entire island from slavery but
• still demanded the production of sugar and
• coffee.
• Wanted to rebuild the French/Haitian
  economy.
• Napoleon sought to return Saint Domingue
• to French control and reinstate slavery.
• Sent French force to recapture the island.
• LOuverture is captured and imprisoned in
• France.

10
How did Haiti gain itsindependence?

• Jean-Jacques Dessalines lead a revolt
• following the capture of LOuverture.
• Horrific war broke out where both sides
• resorted to mass murder.
• Haitians killed all Europeans and French
  killed
• all blacks.
• Because France could not re-supply their
• troops, Haiti will win the war in November
• 1803.