Haitian Revolution: General Knowledge

When did the revolution start/end?

1791-1804

When did France take control over Saint Domingue?

1697 from the Spanish

What did the class system look like?

Grand Blancs: rich white planters
Petit Blancs: white artisan class (shopkeepers/merchants)
Fpoc: people of colour who are either born free or gain freedom
Enslaved: people working on plantations

Characteristics of slave society?

- Sugar was the heart of the French economy
- Slaves worked 12 hours a day
- Outside of work, their gardens had common droughts etc
- 4-10% of slaves died every year
- Illegal punishment methods at use

Demographics on the eve of revolution?

500,000 enslaved
30,000 fpoc
40,000 Europeans

What is the importance of fpoc?

- They couldn't obtain French citizenship
- Lacked social mobility, couldn't enter certain professions (harsh laws)
- Mixed race couldn't take European last names, kept tied to slave identity
- Many were intellectual and literate, learning about liberty, etc.

What was enlightenment in the revolution?

- Ideas of liberty, equality, etc from the 1789 French Revolution inspired fpoc and enslaved to look at ideas of freedom & equality
- Usually came from literate fpoc like Toussaint

What was the secondary impact from the French Revolution?

- France found it difficult to control Haiti because they already lost control of their own country (fall of monarchy, rise of middle class, etc)
- Late to respond to revolution

Who was Vincent Oge?

Fpoc, organized a military force to win rights for his people (fpoc march), but the planters captured, tortured, and executed him. Lots of rebellions resulted from this.

Why were the people inspired by Oges execution?

-fpoc realised this was a message that they would never attain the same rights or even recognition

Describe Toussaint Louverture?

- Born around 1740
- Former slave turned leader

What made Toussaint unique?

- His father was a military leader in Africa, and had experience
- He was literate, had impressive writing and political knowledge
- He looked after troops and morale
- worked with all groups of society