Haitian Revolution Essay

In France the peasant and middle classes fought to overthrow their monarch, while the Haitian slaves wanted their freedom by trying to overthrow the French government which at that time was controlling them. In the year 1791 both the Haitian Revolution and French Revolution were occurring. The French at this time were in the process of making a new government based on equal rights drafting a new constitution. In Haiti an outraged enslaved population were finding strength in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and were about to take action of their own. The Haitians and French, began with questions that Enlightenment thinkers were creating.

Ogé and his rebels were successful the first few times, but they were soon defeated by a larger military force in Santo Domingo, and Ogé was publicly executed. Ogé’s bravery gave inspiration to the rebels who successfully won their independence during the Revolution. Social classes in Saint Domingue played a huge part in the slave revolts. The first part of the social class were the French and white colonists, who were in control of everything. Then came the mulattoes, who had the advantage of being free, but were still being oppressed by the French and white colonists who only saw them as people of color.

This revolution proved to be a major event as it was the most successful slave revolution in history. The slavery population in Haiti, vastly outnumbered the white colonists in Haiti, and therefore, when the slave population banded together, led to a full-scaled rebellion. Revolts would continue to occur until finally in 1793, the slaves got their freedom, with slavery officially being abolished in all French territories in 1794. From this point until 1802, small rebellions continued to occur as not much changed in the daily lives of slaves, despite technically having their freedom. After the French Revolution and with Napoleon taking power in 1799; Napoleon reinstated slavery in all French colonies, including Haiti.

Toussaint had become, as West Indian historian C L R James describes him, a ‘Black Jacobin’. He was now waging all-out war for the abolition of slavery. The Haitian Revolution has often been described as the largest and most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere. At that moment the Haitian Revolution had outlasted the French Revolution which had been its inspiration. Napoleon Bonaparte, now the ruler of France, dispatched General Charles Leclerc, His brother-in-law, and 43,000 French troops to capture L 'OUverture and restore both French rule and slavery.

Slave revolts are common events in history, the outcome is usually predictable, the slaves demand rights only to be decimated by their landowning counterparts. The Haitian revolution was the first successful large scale slave rebellion. From the early 1790’s to late 1800’s the Haitians fought against the French for control of Saint-Domingue. This revolution was noticed created a global stir due to its unique formulation, which was rooted in oppression from the French. The revolution itself fostering a new sense of nationalism, and ultimately it resulted in many new revolutionary thoughts from spectating countries and a newly found debt to Haiti itself.

The Haitian Revolution and the French Revolution The revolution of almost 100,000 slaves in Saint-Domingue (Haiti) from 1797 to 1804 was the biggest revolution in the history of slavery. The Haitian Revolution led to the formation of the first ever victorious independent liberated slave state in the world, an idea that rocked the economic, socio-political, and moral basics of the Caribbean. In 1791, slaves and the free people of color (gens de couleur libres) revolted against French ruling, and by 1804 declared the country’s self-rule under new Arawak name of Haiti. Haitian Revolution together with the American Revolution was one of the dramatic and most important challenges faced by European colonialism from the New World, and it is widely regarded as a landmark in the history of Africans in Americans. One must highlight the struggles which had been happening for years before the outbreak of the 1791 full-scale revolution.

The Haitians beat the French proving that a revolution can be done to people and winning their freedom. The Haitian revolution was a time of hope in the eyes of the slaves of St. Domingue; they had a chance to be free. Toussaint Louverture was their ticket to success without him the Haitians would have lost and bee controlled by the French. Who knows what Haiti would be without the revolution. Louverture did all he could for the Haitians to help them be free but never got to see the end product of his work.

In the late 18th century, a revolution began against the French government. The slaves took action and revolted ruler Napoleon. In the beginning of the 19th century, Haiti was the first black independent nation. Haiti soon went through a rough time of assassination and over through of power. Haiti soon became split into two countries.

This revolution represents the most thorough case study of revolutionary change anywhere in the history of a modern world and is regarded as a defining moment in the history of Africans in the new world. The Haitian Revolution 1791 – 1804 was a time of harsh and brutal conflicting in the French colony of Saint – Domingue (know now as Haiti), which lead to the elimination of slavery and established Haiti as the republic ruled by people of color an African ancestry. Haiti also is the second state to declare its independence in the Americas. But why did the Haitian Revolution happen? Because the people of Haiti where oppressed and enslaved.

Is the Haitian Revolution a Traditional One According to Brinton’s Anatomy? “Through the struggle, the Haitian people ultimately won independence from France and thereby became the first country to be founded by former slaves” (Britannica). Thousands and thousands of slaves revolted and gained their independence during the Haitian Revolution. What induced their success? Brinton’s Anatomy of Revolution is the “outline” or set of steps that all revolutions seem to follow.