Acknowledgement

I would like first to thank God for giving me the strength to complete this Students Based

Assessment. I would like to thank my teacher who was not just a source of information

but also inspiration, my mother for her invaluable financial and moral support. For those I

have not mentioned for your contribution, thank you.

AREA OF RESEARCH

Theme: Resistance and Revolt

Topic: The Haitian Revolution

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Is it true to say that the Haitian Revolution had a more positive effect on the wider

Caribbean socially, economically and politically than on Haiti itself?

RATIONALE

The French Colony of Haiti was known to be the most profitable sugar producing colony,

producing forty-five percent of the world’s sugar around 1789, the sugar plantations were

owned by whites and sometimes mullatoes but operated by imported African slaves. As

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time went on, issues arose about slavery and the slaves wanted freedom because they

were being overworked and ill treated. The coloured were fighting for equal rights while

the slaves were fighting to escape slavery and the harsh inhumane treatment they got

from the whites. The French revolution in 1789 was known to be the trigger behind the

Haitian revolution, because of the effects it left behind on Haiti where the slaves and the

mullatoes felt that the ideas of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity was for them, and the

Haitian Revolution occurred on August 23, 1791 and lasted to 1804. It was caused by

social inequalities between the three main social classes. Certain classes were denied

social and political rights.

The reason for this topic being chosen was because the Haitian Revolution was the first

successful Revolution in the Caribbean and the researcher will be aiming to find out if the

Haitian Revolution had a more positive effect on the wider Caribbean than on Haiti itself

and the researcher will compare and contrast the effects of the Revolution on Haiti and

the wider Caribbean.

THE SOCIAL EFFECTS OF THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION

ON

HAITI AND THE WIDER CARIBBEAN

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The issues with the social groups were racial inequalities and the Haitian Revolution

changed the social composition of the island through the expulsion and massacre of the

dominant white class (grand blancs and petit blancs), it increased the racial conflicts

between the blacks (noirs) and mullatoes (gens de colouer). The racial tariff grew

stronger between the two classes due to disagreements, especially with leadership and

control of the island, the mullatoes were favored more by the French government, and

therefore jealousy grew. In the fighting of 1791, 10,000 blacks died; and another 30,000

died before the end of the century in the various wars against the mulattoes and the

British and 60,000 were killed in the campaigns of Leclerc and Rochambeau. The mullato

population also suffered terribly from both the blacks and the whites, many died in

Sonthonax’s terror of 1792-3 and while fighting in Rigaud’s army against the British

between 1794-5 and after the British withdrew, Toussaint turned against them and

Dessalines massacred many of them when Rigaud and Petion attempted resistance. About

10,000 mullatoes were killed between 1798-1800 and many of them who were in the

army of Rigaud, Petion and Boyer joined Leclerc’s army and many more were killed.

Creole whites in Haiti had numbered between 30,000 and 35,000 but by the end of

Dessalines’ rule in 1806 there was none as thousands were killed and many went into
Gran
exile. Whites hadBlanc
evacuated to the north from 1791 by but those had stayed or had
s
G ra were
returned were massacred by Dessalines. The people of Haiti p h smainly
h o w inpeasants
g th e dand
e c lin e in H a itia n
p o p u la tio n a fte r th e R e v o lu tio n
there was the re-distribution of the large estates to the peasants.
Petit Blancs

The effect socially on the wider Caribbean was that the white exiles from Haiti during
3 5 0 ,0the
00
Y ear 1804
Revolution went(Gens
Mulattoes to the islands of Puerto Rico, Cuba and Jamaica. They were gladly
de colouer)
Years

accepted in Jamaica where they helped to contribute to the white population where the 5 0 0 ,0 0 0
Y ear 1791
Slaves (Noirs)

4 0 1 0 0 ,0 0 20 0 0 ,0 0 30 0 0 ,0 0 40 0 0 ,0 0 50 0 0 ,0 0 0

N u m b e r o f p e r so n s
enslaved Africans had outnumbered them 50:1 and they also contributed their culture and

religion. Also after the Haitian Revolution, these gave the slaves of the other Caribbean

islands the knowledge, inspiration about revolting and this therefore gave the influence

for the slaves to revolt to gain freedom from the ‘shackles of slavery.’ Between 1791 and

1830 many revolts had occurred but not all were as successful as the Haitian Revolution.

As it was known, the Haitian Revolution influenced the 2nd Maroon War of 1795 in

Jamaica, the Barbados Revolt of 1816, and the Demarrara Revolt 1823. There were

several revolt plots in Belize, Puerto Rico, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Social hierarchy of Haiti before the Revolution

THE ECONOMICAL EFFECTS OF THE HAITIAN

REVOLUTION ON

HAITI AND THE WIDER CARIBBEAN

Economically, the Haitian Revolution brought about drastic declines in the levels of

production in Haiti, as before the revolution it was the leading sugar producer in the

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 Caribbean, numerous efforts were made to restore the industry but independent Haiti

could not do so because most of the ex-slaves refused to go back to the plantations, most

of the good soil, equipment and infrastructure and plantations that Haiti once possessed

had been destroyed by the events of the Revolution and when they did produce they lost

profits because sugar which was their main surplus of trade, began loosing value and

steadily decreased because of other foreign competitors in the market. The United States,

France, Britain and Spain had put an embargo on trade with Haiti which meant Haiti

could not buy and sell via the major markets and the Jamaican planters also wanted to

terminate the commercial links with Haiti because they didn’t want to have anything to

do with the black republic because that would encourage their entry and expose the

enslaved of Jamaica to the idea of revolution. Coffee did not collapse to an extent as it

was grown in the peasant’s small-holdings.

G ra p h s h o w in g th e d e c lin e in s u g a r Graph sho w in g decline in coffee

o u tp u t in H a iti a fte r 1 7 9 1 to 1 8 1 8 outpu t fro m 1791 - 1818

2 0 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0

1 5 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0
Million pounds of sugar

80,000,000

1 0 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 M illion 60,000,000
1 6 3 ,4 0 5 ,2 2 0 68,151,180
p ou n ds o f40,000,000
5 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 Coffe e 20,000,000 20,280,220
4 7 ,6 0 0 ,0 0 0
0
0 1 ,8 9 6 ,4 4 9
Y ear 1791 Y ear 1818
Y ear 1791 Y ear 1804 Y ear 1818
Ye a rs
Y e a rs 6
The effect on the wider Caribbean was that the collapse of the sugar industry in Haiti

boosted production elsewhere this created a void on the world market for tropical goods

that a number of colonies immediately fought to take over; sugar from the British West

Indies took over the market of The United States in 1794, but Cuba cultivated a lot of

sugar, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico produced more sugar and coffee. The exodus of the

white and mulattoes of Haiti also had effects on the islands where they settled as they

gave their knowledge of planting coffee in Jamaica and Jamaica owes its emergence as an

important coffee producer due to these persons and they gave their knowledge of running

a full efficient sugar plantation where they took this to Cuba and Puerto Rico.

THE POLITICAL EFFECTS OF THE HAITIAN

REVOLUTION ON

HAITI AND THE WIDER CARIBBEAN

After the Revolution, the Haitian revolution gave the island of Haiti a chance to elect

their own system and government, which made Haiti the first independent black state, as

stated by Sir Eric Williams in his book, “From Columbus to Castro.” There was political

instability because everybody wanted to lead the island. So there were conflicts with

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leaders and their Generals because there was a sense of dictatorship from the leader

Toussaint, and the two Generals Dessalines and Christophe didn’t appreciate it so they

called upon Napoleon Bonaparte, the then ruler of France, who sent General Leclerc to

remove Haiti’s leader to restore slavery. Dessalines was crowned Emperor Jacques I in

1804 and was assassinated in 1806 by soldiers of Petion. Haiti was divided with King

Henri I in 1811 in the north and a republic in the south by Petion. In 1812 both were at

war but made peace in 1814. This also led to diplomatic isolation, countries did not want

any relationship with Haiti like the monarchies of European countries as they saw it as a

republican and feared it would influence their colonies, and so they isolated them.

The effect politically on the wider Caribbean was that the Haitian Revolution contributed

to the advancement of the anti-slavery movement. The Humanitarians and Abolitionists

used slavery and incidents of the Haitian Revolution and other revolts to back their point

as to why to abolish slavery, which brought about the Act of 1833 which was then passed

by the British government to end slavery in the British Empire as stated by Isaac

Dookhan in A Pre- Emancipation History of the West Indies. This brought about the

apprenticeship period which was a period of transition to ready the slaves for life after

slavery. They believed that slavery was unnecessary and evil.

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 CONCLUSION

The Haitian Revolution was known to be the event which brought about mass murder,

violence, chaos and rebellion between the varied classes who fought for reasons of

freedom and equality. Haiti made history as they were the first black republic to achieve

independence and be freed from slavery, although the Haitian revolution caused the lost

of lives and many other negative impacts, the positive influences it had on the wider

Caribbean impacted more. If it wasn’t for the Haitian Revolution, there might not have

been any diversification of crops as if the exiles did not go to the other islands they would

not have introduced to new crops such coffee. Sugar was the main surplus and with the

news of the success by black people during slavery it gave the slaves the inspiration and

knowledge on how to carry about revolts. If wasn’t for the Revolution the abolitionists

would not have the strong arguments of showing how dangerous and reckless it was of

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keeping the Africans enslaved and so helped in the abolition of slavery in the British

West Indies.

Therefore the Haitian revolution was a success, which brought out many positives,

despite the fact that Haiti never recovered from the revolution; it was still beneficial to the

wider Caribbean.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Beckles, Hilary, and Shepherd Verene. Freedoms Won: Caribbean Emancipations,

Ethnicities and Nationhood, Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom 2006.

Eric Williams, From Columbus to Castro: The History of the Caribbean 1492-1969,

Carlton Publishing Group, London, 1970.

Isaac Dookhan, A Pre-emancipation History of the West Indies, Carlong Publishers Ltd,

Kingston, Jamaica, 1971.

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Patrick E. Bryan, The Haitian revolution and its effects (Heinemann CXC History),

Heinemann Educational Publishers, Oxford, 1984.

William Claypole & John Robottom, Caribbean Story Book 1 (3rd Edition), Carlong

publishers (Caribbean Limited), Kingston Jamaica.

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