The legacies of both the French and Haitian Revolutions not only affected the countries involved but the world at large. From lasting political ideas to huge land transactions that nearly doubled the sizes of the original territories. These revolutions have helped shaped the world we live in today. Both the French and Haitian Revolutions began based upon the principles of fighting for liberty and equality which paved the way for future change both politicly and socially; on the contrary, the turmoil of the French Revolution was looked down upon by many surrounding countries and had a domino affect on the Haitian revolution, whereas the Haitian Revolution set an example of a successful fight for independence against European colonizers that …show more content…
In France, the poor masses that made up most of the French population were unhappy with the massive wealth divide and felt that Louise XVI should strip the nobility of their privilege so that the dividc could be diminished. This would soon work itself out so that the nobility was no longer held to a different standard than the rest of France.The people of France also wanted to be heard by their government. In the years to come chaos would take over France, King Louise XVI would be killed, and they would rebuild their government from the ground up with Napoleon as their new leader. They ultimately wanted to be liberated from the rein of King Louise XVI and have equal rights in the eyes of the government. Both of these are political ideas that have stuck with France until today. In Haiti many enslaved people wanted to be liberated from their owners and the majority of Haiti wanted liberation from France. They also fought for equality of man, the idea that no one was superior to another based upon the color of ones skin. The question of white superiority would rise after the success of the Haitian revolution, by surprising the whites that had oppressed the people of Haiti for so long. They would come to fight a roughly five year rebellion that would inspire the rest of the …show more content…
The French Revolution was full of chaos and turmoil that other nations did not want to see happen in their own countries. In France, the un-peaceful transition of power along with many finically unsupported wars left France in a financial crisis. Unlike the Haitian Revolution that set an example for enslaved people around the world. Because of the financial crisis France was in, they exploited the sugar production of Saint-Domaine, which not only became a cash crop but established an economy in Saint Doumainge that was built upon the backs of slave labor, with in the near future these same slave formed a rebellion that would earn them the freedom that they had longed for. On the other hand the success of the Haitian Revolution convinced the French diplomate Bonepater to sell France’s Louisiana territory to the US, nearly doubling the counties previous size. This would become known as the Louisiana Purchase. Although the Haitian Revolution abolished slavery in Haiti and a few other countries, there was a ripple effect that the legacy had that expanded slavery in places such as the United States and other Caribbean countries. The lands of the Louisiana Purchase became home to one of the US’s most valued cash crop, cotton. Because the Mississippi river, the main way of transporting people and goods after the Louisiana Purchase, was able to reach so many places in the US the demand for
Revolution is one word that summarizes complete change. To put the name of a country before the word revolution means complete change in that country's government. In some way, whether it be politically, economically, or socially, the government failed to appease the people. In France and Latin America they stopped at virtually nothing to gain their goal. Latin America literally bit the hand the fed them and France beheaded their own king. This was all done in the name of reformation and change because somehow their government severely let down their people.
...thought the war was over and the Haitians were going to throw in the towel but they rallied together under Dessalines to win their freedom from France and become the second colony ever to become an independent nation. The Haitians beat the French proving that a revolution can be done to people and winning their freedom.
Haiti began as the French colony of Saint-Domingue. The island was filled with plantations and slaves working on them. Almost a decade and a half after its settlement, this colony paved the way for many changes throughout the French empire and many other slave nations. Through its difficult struggle, we examine whether the slave revolt of Saint-Domingue that began in the late 16th century was justifiable and whether its result in creating the free nation of Haiti was a success. The slave insurrection began in August 1791 in Saint-Domingue.
Both France and Haiti had so many similarities between their revolutions. Both France and Haiti had an oppression for both social and political systems, because they wanted equality among people. “ The injustices of the social system in Saint Dominique stood in stark contrast to the ideals of the French Republic espoused in France during the French revolution, when on August 26,1789, the Claritin of the rights of man was adopted”. (Stock). This quote means that the french republic wanted good in their social system but they got the opposite.“Among the whites, political upheaval had started in the french colonies which had started in 1789 and ended in 1799, which came into conflict, which also divided the French at home” (stock). So basically
While the French Revolution was inspired by the American, the Haitian Revolution was inspired by the French. The previously mentioned “declaration for the rights of man” was written not only for France, but as an international guideline. The revolutionary idea of liberty for all was a desperate need for all of Saint Domingue, especially the slaves. Revolutionaries like Toussaint L’Overture adopted the ideas of the oppressed Third Estate to build their own revolutions against slave owners, and France
...s on who should have power. Rebellions broke out across France and turned the nation against itself. The major revolutionary revolt was The Storming of Bastille. The third estate demanded for a republic. King Louis was killed, along with his wife Marie Antoinette to pursue the ideas of changing society. Maximilien Robespierre ordered their deaths by the violent and horrific machine, the guillotine. He was also killed shortly after, but provided the Jacobins a leader in his efforts to overthrow the monarchy. Napoleon was the last to save the revolution as it came to a close. The French Revolution has changed history and the lives of everyone in France up to today. Many people sacrificed themselves to change the country for others today. This revolution was life changing and inspired many others around the world to stand up for their beliefs and fight for a democracy.
The outcome was independence for various states of Latin America. This revolution differed from both North American and Haitian Revolution. The process lasted more than twice as long because class, race, and religion divided the Latin societies. The independence movement took place under the form of social rebellion. Extensive violence between the French and Haitian was a warning to Latin America that political change could easily be taken too far. Leaders tried to convince their people that people of color and women would have freedom. In the end, very few of the promises were
African Haitians completely did away with the social control that kept the racial hierarchy in place in Haiti. The institutions that the French held to control the slaves were attacked the very French army that was sent was defeated and the former slaves took control of the island and forever changed the colonial society they lived in. African slaves began to notice during the French revolution the ideals of liberty, citizenship, and voting come up but they were excluded due to the racial hierarchy that existed in the colony. Even the slave owners that were not white were not given access to the newfound rights of the French citizens. This revolution had a great impact on the rest of Spanish America, The United States and specifically the islands of Cuba and Jamaica. It grounded the growing abolitionist movements because of the drastic outcome of the slaves’ revolution and tightened the colonial control in the islands in the Caribbean who feared a similar revolution could occur. The Haitian revolution was not an eruption of recent discontent, it had been building as slaves frequently ran away and established Maroon
On January 1, 1804, the country of Haiti formally declared independence from the French colonial powers. This newfound state of freedom was born as a result of the Haitian revolution (1791–1804), a movement that was primarily lead by the former slave and prominent leader, Toussaint L’Overture. Due to the successful nature of this slave revolt, the nation of Haiti became a huge inspiration for surrounding colonies – becoming the second former European colony in the New World that was able to achieve independence. Despite the hard-won efforts of the oppressed, political stability within the country quickly unravelled as the national identity formed during the revolution deteriorated under rising conflict between mulattoes and blacks.
During the French Revolution, there was an unequal social structure resulting in the Third Estate or the lower class being taxed heavily by the First and Second estates, regardless of the population being larger. In Haiti, however, individuals were slaves and possessed no rights or freedom, therefore resulting in an unfair class system as well as racial tensions. Initially, France’s government faced major debts as a result of expensive wars and immoderate spending, causing them to tax the Third Estate, leading to revolution. Haiti’s economy, however, flourished as France acquired free labor from slaves who produced essential goods for trade and wealth. Although, after the revolution, both France and Haiti’s economy was negatively impacted, as a result of the violent rebellions that occurred in order to acquire independence. France was required to overthrow their own government, which was an internal force, however Haiti was required to overthrow an external force, which was France. Nevertheless, both applied violence in their movements and were influenced by significant leaders who enabled the success of the revolution, as they desired political equality within society. Plus, each possessed the same government after the revolutions took place. Thus, even though the French Revolution and Haitian Revolution occurred chronologically in this era of changing society, they both possess distinct aspects, as well as certain
Haiti, previously known as Saint-Domingue, was a slave island and one of the wealthiest of France’s colonies. Up until this point in time, slavery was still common and, as mentioned above, continued throughout the world even after such freedom declarations such as, the Declaration of Independence in the newly formed United States, and the Declaration of Rights of Man in the Republic of France. The Haitian Revolution was brought on by the want for liberation of slaves, and was largely inspired by the French Revolution and the Declaration of Rights of Man. “Even though the early leaders of the French Revolution had no intention of exporting the upheaval, it spread to the colonies, especially to Saint-Domingue” (Ott 1973). 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. Napoleon also sent an army to Haiti to enforce these new slavery laws and Haiti returned to a slave economy in 1802 (Doyle 1943). The Haitian Revolutionaries finally get their win after defeating the French soldiers in the Battle of Vertieres in 1803; the final part of the revolution. The revolution officially ended in 1804, with Haiti gaining its independence from France and permanently abolishing slavery
Early in the nineteenth century rebellion against European authority broke out in Latin America. First, slaves on the island of Haiti revolted against their French masters. Led by former slave Toussaint L'Overture the Haitians defeated France making Haiti the...
The island of Saint-Domingue was made up of a mixture of people including whites from France, creoles, free people of color, and slaves. Once sugar became a major cash crop on the island, an estimated half-million African slaves were brought in to work the land. These slaves outnumbered their white masters more than ten to one and made up the majority of the island inhabitants. Even so, the island had the most secure slave regime in the Caribbean because of the cooperation between masters and free men of color. Due to the difficult policing jobs given to the freed men with little reward, the communication between them and the white masters broke down. Now that the white slaveholders were on their own, it was only a matter of time before their brutal treatment of slaves would lead to an uprising. Once enslaved Africans received word of the revolution in France they too began demanding freedom. After years of civil unrest and vicious fighting, Haiti declared its freedom from France in January of 1804. What makes the Haitian Revolution more radical than the two before it is the fact that it was led by slaves. Throughout the previous revolutions, the main goal was for white men, essentially, to be free from oppressive government rule. There were few thoughts regarding the rights of slaves, even though they too were men. The fact that this group of people were able to remove the colonial authority and establish their own country during this period of time was particularly radical and unheard
In the 1800s, there were many American territories that were apart of the colonies of European powers that were trying to become independent from Europe. Both Haiti in the year 1804, and South America in the year 1815, wrote letters about their independence. The Haitian Declaration of Independence and the Jamaican Letter have similarities in why they are writing the letters, and differences like who they are writing too. While both are similar, lets start by looking at The Haitian Declaration of Independence.
The late 18th century and early 19th century was a prominent time period in which the French Revolution and Haitian revolution occurred. Both revolutions were connected to each other such that they shared similar causes and consequences. Together, France and Haiti were angered by the inequality and unfair privileges that continued to appear in their societies. At the same time, they were inspired and hopeful of bringing the Enlightenment ideas into reality. Although they were able to accomplish most of what they fought for, such as the abolition of slavery, they still took part in bloody revolutions. However, one of the greatest differences in their outcomes was that France emerged as a new, firm government as Haiti staggered with its new independence.