A Haitian Revolution was a major rebellion led by slaves and former slaves that took place in São Domingos, current Haiti, from 1791. It was the only revolution in which slaves and ex-slaves were the leaders and emerged victorious in all of human history.
Current Haiti was first occupied by pirates and, from the 17th century, the France began to colonize the region with the production of sugar and coffee. In the 18th century, more than 90% of the Haitian population was made up of slaves and this population was controlled through extreme violence.
When the French Revolution broke out in Europe, the ideals of freedom, equality and fraternity echoed among the slaves of Saint Dominic, as Haiti was called by the French. From 1791 onwards, the Haitian Revolution began, which involved, in addition to France, other powers of the period. In 1803, the revolutionaries defeated the Napoleonic army and, in 1804, São Domingos became independent, starting to be called Haiti.
Read too: Malês Revolt — the largest slave revolt in Brazilian history
Topics in this article
- 1 - Summary of the Haitian Revolution
- 2 - Historical background of the Haitian Revolution
- 3 - Causes of the Haitian Revolution
- 4 - Characteristics of the Haitian Revolution
- 5 - How did the Haitian Revolution occur?
- 6 - What were the achievements of the Haitian Revolution?
- 7 - Consequences of the Haitian Revolution
- 8 - Solved exercises on the Haitian Revolution
Summary about Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a major rebellion led by slaves and former slaves that took place in São Domingos, now Haiti, from 1791.
In the Haitian Revolution, slaves and former slaves rebelled against the colonial power of France and against slavery.
The trigger for the Haitian Revolution was a voodoo religious ceremony in which a religious leader called on slaves to fight against slavery.
England, Spain, France and the United States participated in the Haitian Revolution to guarantee their interests in the region.
Toussaint Louverture and Dessalines were the main leaders of the Haitian Revolution, and they were both slaves.
The Haitian Revolution ended in 1804 with the victory of the revolutionaries, Haiti's independence and the end of slavery in the country.
The main consequences of the Haitian Revolution were thousands of deaths and a great economic loss.
The Haitian Revolution also caused fear among most of the slave elite in Latin America.
Historical background of the Haitian Revolution
The island where Haiti is currently located has been populated for more than 7 thousand years. In the 15th century, indigenous people known as Taíno lived on the island. In 1492, Christopher Columbus named the island Hispaniola and built the first European settlement in America, La Navidad. In 1507 there was a major smallpox epidemic among the Taíno, and a few years later all the indigenous people on the island were dead.
The Spanish were busy colonizing the eastern part of Hispaniola Island, a region of the current Dominican Republic. Present-day Haiti, which was located in the western part of Hispaniola Island, it was initially occupied by pirates and privateers, mainly French. These “pirates of the Caribbean” attacked Spanish ships passing through the region on their way to Europe.
The French They began to call Haiti São Domingos and, from 1625, began colonizing the region. Large sugar cane plantations dominated the landscape. Coffee also began to be cultivated in the area.
From now on, a large number of African slaves were taken there. According to the census carried out by France in 1788, approximately 25 thousand Europeans, 22 thousand free Africans and around 700 thousand slaves lived in São Domingos. Thus, São Domingos had 93% of its population made up of slaves, perhaps the highest proportion ever seen in history.
Just before the Haitian Revolution, the country produced around 60% of all coffee in the world and 40% of the sugar consumed by France during the period. The island It was one of France's most profitable colonies.
Reports from the period highlight that The violence by which the masters of São Domingos treated their slaves was greater than that which occurred in other regions of America. Before the Haitian Revolution, there were several slave revolts in Haiti, as well as several quilombos in mountainous regions.
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Causes of the Haitian Revolution
The main causes of the Haitian Revolution pointed out by historians are the large number of slaves in Haiti and the violence through which this population wastreated.
Another factor responsible for the revolution in Haiti was the French Revolution (1789-1799). In 1789 the revolution broke out in Paris and news of French events quickly reached the Haitians. The ideas of equality, freedom and fraternity gained strength on the island. Free blacks and slaves appropriated the enlightenment ideas, starting to demand the end of slavery, greater political participation and better living conditions for the black population.
Characteristics of the Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a very unique phenomenon, as it was the only time in history that a slave rebellion was victorious and promoted the independence of a country and was also marked by violence against the population of European origin. Almost the entire European population of the island was murdered or fled during the years of revolution. Reports describe scenes of beatings, hangings and beheadings carried out against the population of European origin.
During the war, English, North American and Spanish troops participated in the Haitian Revolution, changing sides during the conflict, sometimes helping the rebels, sometimes fighting against them.
How did the Haitian Revolution occur?
The trigger for the Haitian Revolution occurred on August 14, 1971. On that day, a voodoo ceremony was held in northern Haiti, in Bois Caiman, led by priest Dutty Boukman.
During the ceremony, Boukman called on those present to fight for freedom. Thousands of people participated in the ceremony and many of them began attacking cities and farms in the region, freeing slaves. In a short time, the northern region of the country was in the hands of the rebels. Many slaves took revenge for the violence committed by their masters, ran away and joined the rebels.
Right at the beginning of the insurrection Dutty Boukman was killed in combat and Toussaint Louverture became the main leader of the revolutionaries. Louverture was born in 1743 and was a slave, but was freed shortly before the outbreak of the revolution. During the war, he proved himself to be a great military strategist and political leader. He is currently considered the “Father of Haiti”.
In 1792, the rebels already dominated a third of the territory of São Domingos and were supported by Spanish and English troops. In France, in 1793, the Jacobin Convention began to discuss the abolition of slavery to end the revolt in America. French troops were sent to Haiti, as was a new governor, who temporarily abolished slavery in the north of the country. There was a truce between the rebels and the French and Toussaint's troops began to fight the Spanish troops based on the island.
In 1794 the Jacobin Convention approved the abolition of slavery in all its colonies and declared all black and brown people as citizens. At that time, 30,000 English attacked French colonies in the Caribbean, and around 10,000 of them occupied Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. British troops were attacked several times by troops from Toussaint Louverture, now an ally of the French. Yellow fever also hit British troops in Haiti hard and, in May 1798, the British made an agreement with Toussaint, leaving the island that month.
In 1801, Toussaint granted a Constitution to Haiti in which he declared himself ruler for life of the country — this one with considerable autonomy from France. Napoleon Bonaparte he considered this fact separatism and sent troops to fight Toussaint's group. Napoleon's objective was to maintain Haiti as a French colony, in addition to maintaining slavery in the country.. Troops arrived in February 1802 and fighting began again.
Toussaint ordered his soldiers to use the scorched earth technique against the French, destroying their towns and cities and then retreating. The action was intended for the French to distance themselves from the coast, making it difficult to receive supplies and reinforcements. Toussaint ended up being arrested by the French while on a farm in northern Haiti and was sent to France, where he ended up dying in prison in 1803. Toussaint's death united the Haitian troops, who continued to fight against the French.
France's troops were led by General Leclerc, Napoleon's brother-in-law. During the war, French troops acted with extreme violence, even murdering rebels in their basements. of ships, burning sulfur and producing toxic gases, similar to a WWII gas chamber Worldwide.
Dessalines, also a former slave, became the main leader of Haitian revolutionaries after Toussaint's death. In 1803 Dessalines' troops inflicted several casualties on French troops, as did yellow fever. Still in 1803, Napoleon focused his forces on his European enemies, especially the English.
At the end of 1803, French troops left São Domingos and, On January 1, 1804, the country became independent and began using the island's old indigenous name, Haiti.. Dessalines became the country's first ruler and slavery was banned in all its forms in the new country.
What were the achievements of the Haitian Revolution?
The first achievement of the Haitian Revolution was the Haiti's victory over the most powerful army of the time, the Napoleonic army. Furthermore, the Haitian Revolution was the first and only revolution in which slaves led the process of independence.
Another achievement of the revolution was the abolition of slavery. In 1776, for example, the United States began its fight against England, which ended with its independence. But after independence, slavery continued in the United States. Haiti was a milestone in the fight against slavery, being the first country where there was abolition in the entire world.
See too: How was the United States' independence process?
Consequences of the Haitian Revolution
The main consequence of the Haitian Revolution was human losses. As with all conflicts, numbers vary, but most historians put it at between 100,000 and 200. thousand deaths among Haitian troops and between 50 thousand and 100 thousand deaths among French troops and English.
In addition to the human loss, there was great economic loss. Much of the country's economy, based on the cultivation of sugar cane and coffee, was destroyed after independence. The country's ports were also destroyed and foreign trade, previously completely dependent on France, no longer existed.
After independence, Dessalines spent a large part of the country's resources on its militarization, as he believed that France would try to reconquer the country again. About 10% of Haiti's male population was in the army in the 1810s. Large fortresses were built on the coast and the population was relocated to the interior of the country.
In 1825, French King Charles X sent a powerful fleet to Haiti, demanding reparations because of the Haitian Revolution. To avoid war, the Haitian government signed a treaty in which it promised to pay 150 million gold francs. Haiti paid its debt to France until 1947, when the Haitian Treasury went bankrupt. Many historians point to the compensation paid to France as one of the main reasons why Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas today.
Another consequence of the Haitian Revolution was that it became a hope for millions of slaves across America, serving as a source of inspiration for them to gain their freedom. On the other hand, the Haitian Revolution provoked panic among slave elites across America. In Brazil, the revolution was mentioned several times in the Senate and Chamber, showing that there was a great fear that slaves would carry out a revolution here. Many used the discourse that it was necessary to abolish slavery before the slaves did so by their own hands and in a violent way.
Solved exercises on the Haitian Revolution
Question 1
(Fuvest)
“There cannot be slaves in this territory. Serfdom was abolished forever. All men are born, live and die free...”
“Every man, whatever his color, may be admitted to any employment.”
Articles 3 and 4 of the Constitution of Haiti, signed by Toussaint Louverture, 1801.
Reading the text above and associating it with the independence process of the Spanish and French Americas, it is possible to conclude that:
A) as in Haiti, in all other movements there was a dominant concern with popular aspirations.
B) Haiti's independence was a special case in the Americas, as it was led by blacks and mulattoes.
C) in the same decade of Haiti's independence, the other Caribbean colonies achieved liberation.
D) Haiti's independence movement was inspired by the United States model.
E) Haiti's independence was granted by Napoleon Bonaparte, based on liberal principles.
Resolution:
Alternative B.
The Haitian Revolution was a case apart from what happened in the rest of America. It was the only independence process led by slaves and freedmen.
Question 2
(UFRGS) Consider the statements below about the history of Haiti in the 19th and 20th centuries.
I. The Haitian War of Independence began as a broad slave rebellion whose consequences were the abolition of slavery and the country's emancipation from French colonial rule.
II. The French demanded financial compensation due to the abolition of slavery and independence, which was only paid in the middle of the 20th century.
III. In January 2010, the country faced a devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of more than one hundred thousand Haitians and forced thousands more to emigrate, including to Brazil.
Which are correct?
A) Just I.
B) Only II.
C) Only III.
D) Only I and II.
E) I, II and III.
Resolution:
Alternative E.
I. Haiti's independence process began as a rebellion against slavery.
II. After independence, Haiti was forced to pay heavy reparations to France until 1947.
III. In 2010, Haiti suffered from an earthquake that killed more than 300,000 Haitians. Due to the devastation of the earthquake, many Haitians migrated to other countries, such as Brazil.
Sources
MOREL, Marco. The Haitian Revolution and slave-owning Brazil. Editora Paco, Jundiaí, 2017.
TEIXEIRA FILHO, Afonso. Black Jacobins - Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution. Boitempo Editorial, São Paulo, 2000.
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
JUNIOR, Jair Messias Ferreira. "Haitian Revolution"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historia-da-america/revolucao-haitiana.htm. Accessed on October 12, 2023.
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