Preview

French and Haitian Revolution Comparisons

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1541 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
French and Haitian Revolution Comparisons
9 January 2013
How France started a Revolution across the Atlantic
Throughout history, there have been dozens of times when people were extremely upset with the government that was ruling over them. However, these angry citizens only revolt a fraction of the time, due to fear of the government. Two examples of when people stood up for their rights and revolted are the French Revolution and the Haitian Revolution. These revolts are loosely connected, as many say that the Haitian Revolution was inspired by the French Revolution. The French Revolution started in 1789 and continued all the way until 1814. The people in France had discontent with the classes, as 98% of the French population was living in serious poverty. The French people revolted, and after two years, they finally got rid of the monarchy that they hated. However, after a while, Napoleon took power of France and started a war with almost all of Europe. France lost the Napoleonic Wars, and was forced to return to a monarchy. By the time the war was over, France had also lost one of their best colonies, Haiti. During the French Revolution, the slaves in Haiti were upset with how little freedom they had. A majority of slaves revolted in 1791 against French rule. After twelve and a half years of fighting, Haiti got its independence on New Year’s Day of 1804. Many have speculated that Haiti would still be a part of France if it was not for the French Revolution. The Haitian Revolution was inspired by the French Revolution because Haiti saw the French Revolution as a perfect time to revolt, the slaves in Haiti felt as if they had the right to be free after reading the
Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen, and decided to revolt after reading some of John Locke 's Enlightenment ideas.
One of the reasons Haiti revolted during the French Revolution is because France was already focused on the French Revolution, so they couldn’t pay that much attention to Haiti(“Haiti). Toussaint L 'Ouverture, the leader



Cited: Bromely, Jason. "Resistance and the Haitian Revolution" ["Resistance and the Haitian Revolution"]. Scholar Miami. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2013. <http://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/san_domingo_revolution/individual_essay/jason.html>. "The Declaration of the Rights of Man and its Impact on the Nation of Haiti." Xula. Xavier University, 2011. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://www.xula.edu/history/documents/Randall-Essay-Posted.pdf>. Ellis, Elizabeth Gayner, and Anthony Esler. World History Connections to Today. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2005. Print. "The Enlightenment." Sunny Sulffolk. HS-102 Readings, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/westn/enlight.html>. "Haiti." Trincoll. N.p., 10 May 2000. Web. 6 Jan. 2013. <http://www.trincoll.edu/classes/hist300/group3/haiti.htm>. Kreis, Steven. "Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (August 1789)." History Guide. History Guide, 2001. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/declaration.html>. Ott, Thomas O. Haitian Revolution 1789-1804. Knoxville: U of Tennessee, 1973. Print. "Overview Essay: Haitian Revolution." Scholar Miami. Slave Resistance- A Caribbean Study, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/san_domingo_revolution/revolution.html>. Peterson, Robert K.D. "The Haitian Debacle: Yellow Fever and the Fate of the French." Montana.edu. Entomological Society of America, 1995. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://entomology.montana.edu/historybug/napoleon/yellow_fever_haiti.htm>. Popkin, Jeremy. "The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804): A Different Route to Emancipation." University of Kentucky. U of Kentucky, 2003. Web. 8 Jan. 2013. <http://www.uky.edu/~popkin/Haitian%20Revolution%20Lecture.htm>.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Often the term “revolution” makes one think of the Revolutionary War in the American colonies. However, a revolution implies grand economic, political, and/or social change and the colonies’ standing in all three of these spheres remained relatively the same after the war was over. However, in their ‘backyard’ Saint Domingue (present day Haiti, but I will be referring to it by its colonial name unless speaking about it after its revolution) was on its way to a revolution and during the mid to late 1800s multiple wars were fought in Cuba for their independence from their colonial rulers. From logistical perspective, both attempts at revolution had several similarities. Both islands were under colonial rule; Saint Domingue overseen by France and Cuba by Spain. They also had agricultural economies driven by slave labor. In both of these nations, slaves fought against colonial rulers against France and Spain. Though there are these similarities, ultimately Saint Domingue (Haiti) succeeded in revolting (though not entirely, perhaps) did not finish their revolution and suffered many setbacks. Haiti was able to turn the previous system upside by having former slaves and people of mixed race hold and exercise…

    • 1694 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    What is considered “natural”, in the context of disasters such as Haiti’s, is seen as independent of human actions. Any analysis of such events must “denaturalize” them by examining the historic, political and economic contexts within which they occur. Without this, the humanitarian impulse informing international efforts to support Haiti’s recovery and development may serve to merely reinforce the historic relationship between wealthy countries and Haiti and may fuel continued underdevelopment.…

    • 791 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Haitian Revolution Essay

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages

    During the Haitian Revolution, slaves went from total submission to personal and political liberation due to the weakening of the colonial power (French Revolution), the economic wealths of Haiti, and the aspirations brought by the ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers that all men were born free and equal. The slave rebellion lead by Toussaint L’Ouverture, is a turning point as it is the first successful one. It took ten years (1794 - 1804) for Haiti to go from a French colony to a Free Independent Republic, making the most important effect of the Haitian Revolution to be, liberation from slavery to the many enjoyments of freedom. Slaves went from being brutally abused creatures, to being…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ch 16 Study Guide

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages

    4. What was distinctive about the Haitian Revolution, both in work history generally and in the history of Atlantic revolutions?…

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Slavery In Saint Domingue

    • 1056 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The slave and free people or color’s response to the French Revolution played a paramount role into Haiti’s Revolution. The free people of color looked to the “Declaration of the Rights of Man” to demand equal rights from the French National Constituent assembly. On May 15, 1791, their demand was granted. Although it did not apply to slaves it was a step closer to liberty for all on Saint Domingue. The Enlightenment philosophy reached Saint…

    • 1056 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The revolutions in both of these countries would have been unsuccessful were it not for the crippling problems faced by both opposing superpowers. The success of the Haitian revolution was due in no small part to the political turmoil brought about by the French revolution. This weakened the ability of the colonial administrators in Haiti to maintain order and caused the authority of colonial officials to no longer be clear; even the very legitimacy of slavery was even being challenged in France. The turmoil in France and Haiti paved the way for a struggle between the elite plantation owners and the free black slave owners. This fighting in turn gave the slaves, under the leadership of Toussaint L 'Ouverture, the unheard of opportunity to revolt against their owners and emancipate themselves from a brutal system of bondage (Corbet).…

    • 1107 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Haitian revolution had outlived the French revolution which was their inspiration them from the beginning. Napoleon Bonaparte who was the ruler of France sent a troop out to capture Louverture and restore the balance that was once there. Louverture was taken and sent to prison where he ultimately died in 1803. Jean- Jacques Dessalines, one of Louvertures generals and also a former slave, led the revolutionaries at the Battle of Vertieres on November 18, 1803 where the French was defeated. They not succeeded in ending slavery but they also end the French control over the colonies. Before the end of this war 100,000 of the 500,000 blacks and 24,000 of the 40,000 whites were killed. On January 1, 1804, Dessalines declared the nation independent…

    • 1987 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Haitian Revolution has often been described as the largest and most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere. Slaves initiated the rebellion in 1791. By 1803, they had succeeded in ending slavery. They also ended French control over the colony. The Haitian Revolution was much more complex, consisting of several revolutions going on simultaneously. These revolutions were influenced by the French Revolution of 1789, which would come to represent a new concept of human rights, universal citizenship, and participation in government.…

    • 1692 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hatian Revolution DBQ

    • 645 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Haitian Revolution was a period of conflict in the French colony, it led to the elimination of slavery there and the founding of the Haitian republic. The three documents that I chose are documents 2, 4, and 8. The point of view of document 2 is Toussaint L’ Ouverture (the leader of the Haitian Revolution). The point of view of document 4 is Henry Adams. The point of view of document 8 is Europeans. All of these point of views gave us insight on how everyone saw the revolution.…

    • 645 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Haitian Revolution has been described as the largest and most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere. The Revolution started on the 21st of April 1791 and ended of the 1st of January 1804. This Revolution was held in Saint-Domingue and this Revolution resulted in the French Colonial Government being expelled and also the massacre of the whites. However the main result ended in the Haitian Victory. The Haitian revolution has many causes this includes: The extremely prosperous economic value due to the slaves. The rich white planters wanting to remain in power while the poor whites supported the ones who were opposing them. The Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizens was denied. The exports of sugar and coffee made…

    • 141 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Research on Haiti

    • 1145 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Cited: * “History of Haiti.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 16 Aug. 2010. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/251987/history-of-Haiti>…

    • 1145 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Speech: History of Haiti

    • 1732 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Crawfurd, Jacob (2003) updated (2004). 200 years of independence for Haiti: The first black Republic…

    • 1732 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Knight, Franklin W. "The Haitian Revolution." The American Historical Review. Feb. 2000. The American Historical Association. 19 May 2006 .…

    • 1040 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Between 1750 and 1870, countries such as France and Haiti experienced dramatic economic, political, and social changes through Revolutions. A revolution occurs when change is desired by people who were mistreated and for this reason, the French and Haitian revolution occurred, leading to many different governmental changes such as the first republic of France and the rule of Napoleon, and the free republic and independent nation established by Haiti. They also led to many similar government changes such as an establishment of a constitution granting rights and citizenship to people, creating more equality in society.…

    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Even after the independence, the fear of being invaded by foreign forces remained in Haitians. After Toussaint L’ouverture’s captivation and death, Dessalines became the sole leader of the army of slaves. Although “French troops remain in the eastern part of Hispaniola and France is actively lobbying England, Spain and the United States to isolate Haiti commercially and diplomatically (History of Haiti)”, Dessalines was determined that slavery would never return on the island. He, along with other generals, swore to “renounce France forever, to die rather than live under its domination, and to combat with their last breath for Independence” (Brown 229). Yes, the revolution was complex and several revolts during these thirteen years led to the largest and most successful emancipation of slavery in the Western hemisphere.…

    • 2237 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays