Haitian Revolution and Abolitionist Movements

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to the Haitian Revolution and abolitionist movements.

Haitian Revolution

Slave uprising in Saint-Domingue (1791–1804) that created the first Black republic.

Saint-Domingue

French colonial name for what became Haiti.

Haiti

First Black-led republic, born from the Haitian Revolution in 1804.

Louisiana Territory

Vast land sold by France to the U.S. in 1803, partly destabilized by Haitian Revolution fears.

Maroons

Enslaved people who escaped and formed independent communities.

Louisiana Slave Revolt

1811 uprising near New Orleans; largest slave revolt in U.S. history.

Male Uprising of Muslim Slaves

1835 Brazilian revolt led by Muslim African enslaved people in Bahia.

San Miguel de Gualdape Slave Rebellion

1526 revolt in one of the earliest Spanish settlements in North America.

German Coast Uprising

Another name for the 1811 Louisiana Slave Revolt.

Charles Deslondes

Leader of the 1811 German Coast/Louisiana Uprising.

The Creole Mutiny

1841 enslaved people seized the ship Creole and sailed to freedom in the Bahamas.

Madison Washington

Leader of the Creole Mutiny.

Maria Stewart

First American-born woman to lecture publicly on politics and abolition.

Great Dismal Swamp

Swampland on Virginia/NC border that sheltered maroon communities.

Maroon Wars

Conflicts between maroon communities and colonial powers, especially in Jamaica.

Bayano

African-born leader of a maroon community in 16th-century Panama.

Queen Nanny

Jamaican maroon leader and national hero who resisted British colonial rule.

Capoeira

Afro-Brazilian martial art/dance developed by enslaved Africans as covert resistance.

Congada

Afro-Brazilian cultural celebration blending African traditions with Catholic elements.

Manumission

The formal act of an enslaver freeing an enslaved person.

Second Seminole War

1835–1842 conflict in Florida involving Black-Indigenous alliances against U.S. removal.

Trail of Tears

Forced relocation of Native Americans from southeastern U.S. in the 1830s.

Black-Indigenous People

People of both African and Indigenous descent, often with shared histories of resistance.

Emigration

Movement of African Americans abroad (e.g., to Africa or Caribbean) to escape U.S. racism.

Black Nationalism

Political ideology emphasizing Black self-determination, unity, and independent institutions.

Paul Cuffee

Black entrepreneur and early emigrationist who transported free Black Americans to Sierra Leone.

Martin R. Delany

19th-century Black nationalist, abolitionist, and advocate for African emigration.

Anti-Emigrationists

Black leaders (like Frederick Douglass) who opposed emigration, arguing for rights within the U.S.

Fugitive Slave Acts

Laws (1793, 1850) requiring return of escaped enslaved people even from free states.

Moral Suasion

Abolitionist strategy of persuading people to oppose slavery through moral/ethical arguments.

Radical Resistance

Direct, confrontational tactics used by abolitionists to demand immediate freedom.

Underground Railroad

Network of secret routes and safe houses helping enslaved people escape to freedom.

Abolitionist Movement

Organized effort to end slavery in the U.S. and worldwide.

Harriet Tubman

Escaped enslaved woman who led many others to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

Combahee River Raid

1863 Civil War raid led by Tubman that freed over 700 enslaved people.

Sojourner Truth

Abolitionist and women's rights activist; formerly enslaved; famous for "Ain't I a Woman?".

Carte-de-visites

Small photographic portraits used to humanize Black leaders and challenge racist imagery.

Frederick Douglass

Formerly enslaved author and orator; leading abolitionist voice of the 19th century.

Slave Narratives

First-person accounts by formerly enslaved people documenting the realities of slavery.

Black Union Soldiers

African American men who fought for the Union in the Civil War, often in segregated units.

Anti-Black Violence

Systemic and mob violence targeting Black people, especially post-Civil War.

Emancipation Proclamation

1863 executive order by Lincoln declaring enslaved people in Confederate states free.

13th Amendment

Constitutional amendment (1865) that formally abolished slavery in the United States.

Juneteenth

June 19, 1865 — the day enslaved people in Texas learned of emancipation; now a federal holiday.

General Order No. 3

Order issued in Galveston, TX on June 19, 1865, announcing emancipation in Texas.

Galveston, Texas

City where General Order No. 3 was read, marking the origin of Juneteenth.

Major-General Gordon Granger

Union general who delivered the emancipation announcement in Galveston.

Freedom Days

Community celebrations of emancipation across different states and dates.

Jubilee Day

Another term for emancipation celebrations, rooted in biblical concepts of liberation.

Emancipation Day

General term for commemorations of the end of slavery in various places and contexts.