In fact, it had a great deal in common with saintdomingue, the only european colony more profitable than jamaica in the late eighteenth century. Haitian revolution the haitian revolution began in 1791 in the french colony of saint domingue, when a group of slaves rebelled in order to secure their freedom and the end of slavery. The story of the haitian revolution laurent dubois. Know yourself webinar series part 1 w professor bayyinah. In 1791, the outbreak of the haitian revolution, at first localized in one district of the colonys northern plain, soon spawned waves of slave insurgencies that assembled and fought the horrors of oppressi. Jamess magnum opus and classic text on slave rebellion, the black jacobins, james forcefully points out that saintdomingue experienced the the only successful slave revolt in history. Jamaica in the age of revolution enhances our understanding of a colony and. Fiering is past director and librarian of the john. Rebellion of 1760 the largest slave revolt in the caribbean before the haitian.
He was an educated man, although a slave, who was sold by his british master to a french plantation in haiti. One of vieuxchauvets earliest novels, dance on the volcano 1957, just published in a new english translation, does so by journeying back to the world of plantation slavery and of the haitian revolution. Born in senegambia presentday senegal and gambia, he was captured, enslaved and transported to jamaica. It is bounded on the north by the atlantic ocean, on the south by the caribbean sea, and on the east by the dominican republic. From the political point of view, it lit the inferno of revolts in many countries of the caribbean and latin america and inspired books and reflections from different authors.
Jan 15, 2010 explains the haitian revolution of 1791, why it happened and who its major protagonists were. The haitian revolution, 17911805, historicising african. A huge majority of the supporters of the haitian revolution were slaves and freed africans who were severely discriminated against by colonial society and the law. The best books on haiti five books expert recommendations. Many of us have been taught that the baddest slaves were dropped off in the caribbean, the first chances the slave ships had to get rid of the troublemakers. David patrick geggus teaches history at the university of florida, gainesville. Pachonski and wilson, in their book, polands caribbean tragedy, have. A discipline in transition and jonathan edwardss moral thought and its british context. University press of the pacific, 2003, reprint, 128. Impact of the haitian revolution on the caribbean and. Dutty boukman also known as boukman dutty died 7 november 1791 was an early leader of the haitian revolution. Ready to carry out their plans, the slaves meet in mornerouge to make final preparations and to give instructions. His french name came from his english nickname, book man, which some scholars have. Background until very recently, when historians spoke of the age of revolutions they meant western revolutions, like the french and the american.
In 1791, the outbreak of the haitian revolution, at first localized in one district of the colonys northern plain, soon spawned waves of slave insurgencies that assembled and fought the horrors of oppression. The second traumatic time was the haitian revolution between 1793 and 1804 and the third one was the period of the duvalier dictatorships and the rule of papa doc from 19571971, followed by his son baby doc until 1986. The middle period of the haitian revolution is the story of leger felicite sonthonax, french commissioner to saintdomingue, and the rise of toussaint louverture sonthonax worked tirelessly to save the colony for france. Ben fountains top 10 books about haiti books the guardian. Several factors precipitated the event, including the affranchis frustrations with a racist society, the french revolution, nationalistic. The haitian revolution was the first incidence of mass emancipation in a colonial society and the only slave revolt that resulted in the formation of a modern state. The haitian revolution and the early united states. Among his books are slavery, war and revolution and haitian revolutionary studies iup, 2003 norman fiering is author of moral philosophy at seventeenthcentury harvard. Is it just me, or jamaicans and haitians seem to have a lovehate relationship. The haitian revolution 1791 brown university library.
Apr 28, 2017 one of vieuxchauvets earliest novels, dance on the volcano 1957, just published in a new english translation, does so by journeying back to the world of plantation slavery and of the haitian revolution. Boukman, the jamaican, who was sold to a frenchman and brought to haiti from jamaica because of his rebellious spirit, played an instrumental role in the revolution that lead to haiti being the very first country in the new world, in 1803, to throw off the shackles of slavery, and gain its freedom. Haitian revolution cannot be separated from the wider concomitant events of the later eighteenthcentury atlantic world. The real untold history of jamaica and jamaicans duration. Jamaica lies to the west and cuba to the northwest. Among his books are slavery, war and revolution and haitian revolutionary studies iup, 2003. Jan 23, 2017 this is because while saintdomingue was the only slave colony where bondage was directly overthrown by the enslaved, understanding the haitian revolution as the only slave revoltcum revolution discredits revolutionary achievements of other antislavery resistance in the west indies.
The haitian revolution became the pedestal of slave or black rebellion across many nations in the world. He first served in the army of the spanish part of the isle of saintdomingue, and fought the french as the leader of a guerrilla unit consisting of 4000 liberated slaves. Haiti and jamaica in the remaking of the early nineteenth. The first black republic is a powerful historical work on the history, struggles, and subsequent victory of the haitian people. The french massacre of 1804 was carried out against the remaining french population and french creoles or francohaitians in haiti by haitian soldiers under orders from jeanjacques dessalines. We know that the haitian revolution was set against the backdrop of the french revolution. Slaves around the world were seeking to be recognized as equals to their conquerors or colonizers and therefore uprisings began to develop after the orchestration of the first black uprising known as the haitian revolution. Burnards book demonstrates the value of looking at the american revolution. Sep 22, 2008 francoisdominique toussaint louverture was the bestknown leader of the haitian revolution. Black revolution haitian heroes book 3 frantz derenoncourt jr. He eventually ended up in haiti, where he became a leader of the maroons and a vodou hougan priest. Unlike cuba, the british colony of jamaica was a longstanding slave society on the cusp of the haitian revolution. Still for all those whove doubted what ive written on the subject please read what michael degraff, an mit associate professor of linguistics, syntax, morphology, language change, creole studies, and haitian creole has to say on.
Furthermore, jamaicans, living just 296 miles west of haitians and sharing some common historical and current experiences, feel the pains of their haitian brothers and. Toussaint louverture was the leader of the haitian revolution in the late eighteenth century, in which slaves rebelled against their masters and established the first black republic. Jan 21, 2016 pictures supporting this historical revolution. Haitian revolution 17911804, series of conflicts between haitian slaves, colonists, the armies of the british and french colonizers, and a number of other parties. A native jamaican, his name literally meant dirty bookman, a likely reference to a secret book of occult lore he always kept close. Liberty, fraternity, exile and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. This detailed account of how haiti overcame european and french rule is a must read for all haitian and brown people alike.
In the end, they had succeeded in ending slavery and french control on the colony. I cant speak much for books on the haitian revolution, but i would highly recommend mike duncans revolutions podcast on the subject. The british slave system on jamaica was subject to more rigid controls. He had decreed that all suspected of conspiring in the acts of the expelled army should be put to death. List of books and articles about haitian revolution. Norman fiering is author of moral philosophy at seventeenthcentury harvard. The great jamaicanhaitian language wars active voice. In a recent post i asked for help in finding out what the ratio of slaves to free persons was in jamaica at the time of the haitian revolution. In this moving microhistory of nineteenthcentury haiti and jamaica, matthew j. In 2018, the population was said to be 12,382 people, equating to 0. The revolt began on 22 august 1791, and ended in 1804 with the former colonys independence.
He first served in the army of the spanish part of the isle of saintdomingue, and fought the french as the leader of a. White jamaicans are jamaicans whose ancestry lies within the continent of europe, most notably england, scotland, wales, ireland, spain, germany and portugal. This is a great book for learning about slavery in jamaica and the caribbean. The insurrection on the i sland of san domingo came from the mass of enslaved blacks in the french sugar plantation colony there, who risked everything to pursue freedom. Season 4 of revolutions covers the haitian revolution in detail that fulfills your first side a wellnarrated overview of the revolution. Dutty boukman, voodoo priest of the haitian revolution. The slaves decide that upon a given signal, the plantations would be systematically set aflame, and a. Lothrop stoddard, the french revolution in san domingo honolulu. Haiti, cuba, and jamaica in the age of bourgeois revolution. See more ideas about haitian revolution, revolution and black history. Jan 18, 2019 the haitian revolution the most successful slave rebellion in history, the haitian revolution began as a slave revolt and ended with the founding of an independent state. The power of the haitian revolution reverberated across the planet, but.
Through the struggle, the haitian people ultimately won independence from france and thereby became the first country to be founded by former slaves. In the midst of the french revolution, slaves took advantage of volatile political, racial, and social circumstances. Im cheating here, sneaking in three books as one, but bells historicalfiction trilogy of the haitian revolution needs to be read straight through. The haitian revolution provoked an incontestable impact on caribbean latin america. It has been described as the largest and most successful slave rebellion. Madison smartt bells all souls rising, a historical novel set in the haitian revolution that began with the slave uprising of 1791, changed at least one readers life. In this collection of his writings and speeches, former haitian politician jeanbertrand aristide demonstrates louvertures profound contribution to the struggle for equality. The edwards reading sets stdomingue haiti against a wider backdrop. Jacques vincent oge, an affranchis representing the colony in france, leads a revolt against the white colonial authorities in saintdomingue. I cant believe how ignorant jamaicans and most caribbean people are when it comes to their history. The novel is woven around the life of a real historical figure, minette, a free woman of african descent who overcame the racial barriers. Caribbean, first to the island of jamaica, then saint domingue, and then haiti, where he became a haitian vodou houngan priest. Its often given as a reason for the numerous rebellions, the haitian revolution and why slavery lasted so long in the usa. The revolution was actually a series of conflicts during the period 17911804 that involved shifting alliances of haitian slaves, affranchis, mulattoes, and colonists, as well as british and french army troops.
Nugent, lieutenant governor of jamaica, inviting british merchants to establish commercial. Born in saintdomingue, in a long struggle for independence toussaint led enslaved africans and afrohaitians to victory over french colonisers, abolished slavery, and secured native control over the colony, haiti. Below you will find their lists, followed by brief descriptions culled from their book jackets. This novel is set in the early 1960s in the early days of the reign of papa doc. Understanding what drove white colonists in jamaica and saintdomingue in these halcyon days of profit and licentious excess before the great slave revolt that led to the haitian revolution 1791. I knew that haiti was the only country that had a successful uprising of its slaves. However, existing canonical works on this revolution have largely concentrated on providing a. For our fourth list, we asked marlene daut and john garrigus two experts in the haitian revolution to list the top five books they would suggest to graduate students or colleagues entering the field for the first time. Jan 16, 2010 furthermore, jamaicans, living just 296 miles west of haitians and sharing some common historical and current experiences, feel the pains of their haitian brothers and sisters in a very special way.
Browns profound analysis and revolutionary vision of the age of slave war. The haitian and jamaican revolutions compared a dialog on haitil, may 1995. Originally born in senegambia presentday senegal and gambia, he was captured, enslaved and transported to jamaica. Ecology and war in the greater caribbean, 16201914 by john robert mcneill, a short account of the. The enlightenment and its effects on the haitian revolution of 17891804 rebekah nicholson mcnair scholar grace coolidge, ph. Explains the haitian revolution of 1791, why it happened and who its major protagonists were. Well, ive always known that my views on jamaican creole or patwa, the native language here, were contentious but sound. Toussaint louverture was a leader of the haitian revolution. The term browning is the most popular term used to call light skinned women in jamaica. Madison smartt bells haitian revolution trilogy fiction. Christer petleys book takes the life of simon taylor, the richest of jamaicas. It saddens me that a lot of jamaicans dont even know this because they are fed the lies written by the british in school. Dutty bookman who was a very instrumental figure in the haitian revolution practiced voodoo. Haitian revolution begins augustseptember 1791 2128 oct 1790 the oge rebellion.
Haitian revolution reading list age of revolutions. Some lightskinned jamaicans are called names such as mulatto, mongoose, red ants, red gal by even family members and as such their self esteem has been negatively impacted. The horrible lesson white colonists learned when slaves. Indeed, the period between 1750 and 1850 represented an age of spontaneous, interrelated revolutions, and events in saint 1 the bibliography on the haitian revolution is large and growing. If the fulltext of an article is not readily available in the database, click on the find it at scu icon to see if its available in another database or in print in the library. Histories, textualities, geographies by elizabeth maddock dillon.
It involved blacks, mulattoes, french, spanish, and british participantswith the. The haitian revolution, part iii webster university. Dutty boukman died 7 november 1791 was an early leader of the haitian revolution. Special thanks to patrick jamieson and gordon scobie who gave me that explicit information. From the united states, the caribbean to south america, black populations heard of the black revolution. This is a vital resource for academics studying the haitian revolution or anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating period of history. I didnt realize how much different the concept of slavery was in haiti then in the united states, in haiti it was cheaper to work to slaves the death then breed them.
As a result of reading it, i moved into an entirely new field of research, on an aspect of french history that i had previously known almost nothing about. The haitian revolution was led by toussaint louverture from may 20, 1743 to april 7, 1803. There may be no man more important in the haitian revolution than dutty boukman. The enlightenment and its effects on the haitian revolution. Historically white jamaicans made up a much larger percentage of the population, forming a majority for most of the 17th century. The haitian revolution was a revolution ignited from below, by the underrepresented majority of the population. Geggus provides faithful translations of original documents an invaluable resource for those who want to work with primary sources but dont read french fluently, or who dont have access to.