The+Haitian+Revolution

=The Haitian Revolution =







[|French Cruelties in St. Domingue (1802)]

Summary - The French went to St. Domingo and committed atrocious acts against them. When some Haitians refused to put down their weapons, the French attacked them brutally, which ended up as a massacre. The French took loads of people of St. Domingo in cargo ships and when the ships returned, they'd be empty. This means the ships were taking the colored men and women to other places to be sold into slavery. The people of St. Domingo didn't stay quiet, when a ship of French women and children approached, everyone was massacred.

[|Declaration of Rights of Man & Citizen]

[|The Haitian Revolution - Source]

St. Domingo was France's richest colony, it "furnished two-thirds of France’s overseas trade, employed one thousand ships and fifteen thousand French sailors." Even though the French were benefiting greatly from the people of St. Domingo, they still took the residents and brought them into the slave trade. In August 1791, a successful slave rebellion broke out, which eventually resulted in the establishment of Haiti. The colored people of St. Domingo decided it was time to rebel when they found out that the French Declaration of Rights of Man & Citizen stated that Men are born and remain free and equal in rights yet these rights didn't apply to the colored men. The different races and their emotions also had an effect of the Haitian Revolution.In 1790, a series of attacks by mulattoes occurred led by Vincent Ogé. They were angry since they were refused the right to vote even though they were part white! A Haitian Revolution leader, Toussaint was appointed governor in 1796 and he continued to follow his ideas for an independent black government. January 1802, Toussaint was the head of a semi-independent San Domingo. Napoleon knew he had to stop Toussaint, so his brother and law captured and imprisoned Toussaint until his death. In 1803, Toussaints "former lieutenant proclaimed the independence of the country of Haiti and declared himself Emperor." He was killed in 1806, and the country divided into two. Never the less, the enslaved colony of St. Domingo was transformed into the "free nation of Haiti."

The Southerners from the Unites States probably believed that if the slaves of the United States heard too much about the Slave Rebellion in St. Domingo, they might get inspired to rebel as well. I think the government didn't want to get involved because if they supported the people of St. Domingo, then it would mean they supported anti-slavery, which means the United States would also have to get rid of slavery in their own nation. This would hurt the U.S economically because the without the slaves, who would work in the plantations for that little money?

If the U.S supported the French, then the slaves in the U.S might get angered by that and decide to rebel. Perhaps the U.S thought that by not getting involved, things in their own nation would continue normally and they wouldn't face problems like the French.