Haitian Revolution

Two StoriesEnd of SlaveryPain of Haiti

2010 Earthquake

Haiti in ContextHaiti v. Dominican RepublicGDP –13.2 billion v. 100

billionPer capita – 1,300$ v. 9,300$Unemployment – 41% v. 14.7%Poverty – 80% v. 34%Literacy – 53% v. 90%

Haiti in ContextHow did Haiti become the first free island in the Caribbean but is now one of the poorest?

Haiti in ContextHow is the history of Haiti also the history of Slavery?

French Colonies

French Colonies

Trade with Native Americans

French Colonies

Slavery and Plantations

French Slavery

French Slavery1660s -

Focused on Caribbean

Coffee and Sugar

plantations

French SlaveryThree Tier System

White Slavers – 32,000Free Blacks – 28,000 Africans – 452,000

French SlaveryWhite Slavers

Almost all men

Wealthy lineages

Want to establish their own country

French SlaveryFree Blacks

Children of slave owners

Educated and often Slave owners

French SlaveryAfrican Slaves

High rate of death means constant

influx

Create shared language (Creole)

and religion (Voudou)

Colonialism

France very dependent on wealth from Haiti

White Haitians want independence

Constant tension

1665-1789

Colonialism

Upper class of France becoming very rich

But government was bankrupted by wars with England

1665-1789

Revolution1789

Revolution1789

1791-1794

Freed black population & slaves band together to fight white slave holders

Revolution

1794

All slavery is banned throughout France and its colonies

Emancipation

1794

All slavery is banned throughout France and its colonies

Emancipation

1794-1801

French in conflict with Spain and

England

Conflict spills onto Haiti

Free under France

1801-1804

Napoleon is in power and focused on wars in Europe

Former slaves push out all

French forces

Freedom from France

1801-1804 "For our

declaration of independence, we

should have the skin of a white man for parchment, his

skull for an inkwell, his blood for ink,

and a bayonet for a pen!"

Moral Challenges• Slaughter of white men, women,

children, and elderly shocks Americans and Europeans

• Lack of sympathy for Haiti on world stage

• Haitian constitution bans whites from owning property – insures no outside investment

Economic Failure• Haiti is free, but French embargos

cripple its economy

• Almost 10% of young men pulled into the defense of the island – not enough people to work

• Have to pay huge reparations to slave-holders to lift embargo (40$ Billion)

Political Victory• France is first major world

power to ban slavery (1794)

• Denmark-Norway stop slave ships (1803)

• Britain bans slave trade (1807), and eventually slavery (1833)

• Spain abolishes slavery (1810)

Political Victory• Common myth that

Enlightenment, Revolution and Emancipation go together

• Ignores the sacrifices of revolutionaries like those in Haiti

Long Term Effects• Defeat hurts Napoleon’s dreams

of French Empire

• To finance wars he makes the Louisiana Purchase deal with America

• America doubles in size

Long Term Effects• White slave holders retreat to

American South (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama)

• Southern states form coalition to continue slaving until Civil War (1865)

Two StoriesEnd of SlaveryPain of Haiti