Haitian revolution
The Haitian revolution was a series of revolts and conflicts between the Haitian slaves and the French troops. It occurred from 1791 until the independence of Haiti in 1804 and involved alliances of Haitian slaves including affranchis, mulattoes, and colonists as well as British and French army troops. Several events led to this event including the affranchise anger with racism, the French Revolution, slave brutality, and wars between European powers. A mulatto named Vincent Oge led an uprising and lobbied for colonial reforms in 1790. He was executed but in 1791, the French revolutionary government granted citizenship to the wealthier affranchise but Haiti’s Europeans did not comply. The slaves revolted and wars broke out. In April 1792, the French assembly granted citizenship to all affranchise but rival factions including Spanish colonists and British troops split the country. In 1793, Leger Felicite Sonthonax from France was sent to maintain order and was instrumental in abolishing slavery with the approval of the French government. In 1795, Spain ceded the island to France in the Treaty of Basel but unfortunately was in Europe prevented the actual transfer of possession. In the late 1790’s, a military leader and former slave, gained control of several areas and the support of the French, negotiated with Britain and named himself “governor general for life.” Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to maintain control of Haiti and sent General Charles Leclerc to fight against Toussaint. After months of war, Toussaint agreed to a peace agreement in 1802 but the French broke the agreement and he died in prison. Lastly, Jean Jacques Dessalines and Henry Christophe led a black army against the French after hearing Bonaparte wanted to restore slavery. They defeated the French in 1803 and gained Haiti back.
Rousseau established Enlightenment ideas that questioned previous traditions from the existing governments, preceding the rebellion. Though his philosophy was more apparent in the French Revolution, his ideas laid the foundation for the Haitian Revolution as well, eventually granting the slaves their freedom. Traditional ideas depicted slave revolts as “brutes blindly following their cynical leader,” but leaders like Louverture was heavily influenced by this Enlightenment philosophy, which played a big role in their quest for freedom.
In The Social Contract, "Man is born free...but everywhere he is in chains."
A quote from Rousseau on Theory of Natural Human, he stated, “The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said ‘‘this is mine,"’ and found people naïve enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars, and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows: Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody.”
Another Enlightenment thinker who obtained a vivid philosophy was John Locke. John was most known for his ideas on the natural rights of man, which was life, liberty, and property. The right to get an education was attached to these natural rights, something the slaves were not allowed to receive. John Locke firmly believed a proper education was vital for someone to gain a prosperous position in society.
Pros:
Cons:
Rousseau established Enlightenment ideas that questioned previous traditions from the existing governments, preceding the rebellion. Though his philosophy was more apparent in the French Revolution, his ideas laid the foundation for the Haitian Revolution as well, eventually granting the slaves their freedom. Traditional ideas depicted slave revolts as “brutes blindly following their cynical leader,” but leaders like Louverture was heavily influenced by this Enlightenment philosophy, which played a big role in their quest for freedom.
In The Social Contract, "Man is born free...but everywhere he is in chains."
A quote from Rousseau on Theory of Natural Human, he stated, “The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said ‘‘this is mine,"’ and found people naïve enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars, and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows: Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody.”
Another Enlightenment thinker who obtained a vivid philosophy was John Locke. John was most known for his ideas on the natural rights of man, which was life, liberty, and property. The right to get an education was attached to these natural rights, something the slaves were not allowed to receive. John Locke firmly believed a proper education was vital for someone to gain a prosperous position in society.
Pros:
- Found the republic of Haiti
- It is, in fact, the only slave revolt which led to the founding of a state
- Eliminated slavery in Haiti
- Also triggered other slave revolts in Latin America
Cons:
- more discrimination racism
- napoleon lost his military strength
- death of Toussaint L'Ouverture
- 10,000 blacks and 24,000 whites were killed
Interview of a slaveInterviewer: How do you feel about the way you're being treated?
Slave: It is very unfair and that is why we are revolting. Interviewer: What do you hope to gain from the revolution? Slave: My freedom, of course, and freedom of others around the world. Interviewer: I hope you achieve your goal, you deserve it. A philosopher friend once told me, "everyone deserves life, liberty, and property." |
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