Prior to the earliest days of the Haitian Revolution in 1791, Haiti was a French colony with an enslaved African-descended population numbering 500,000. Because this number was over ten times the total population of French colonists, Haitian slaves revolted against their masters often, with mixed success. It was only after the French Revolution that these revolts were organized and widespread enough to constitute a nationwide revolution. Former slave Toussaint l'Overture led his army to victory...
Prior to the earliest days of the Haitian Revolution in 1791, Haiti was a French colony with an enslaved African-descended population numbering 500,000. Because this number was over ten times the total population of French colonists, Haitian slaves revolted against their masters often, with mixed success. It was only after the French Revolution that these revolts were organized and widespread enough to constitute a nationwide revolution. Former slave Toussaint l'Overture led his army to victory against both French and allied British forces and ended up taking much of the land on the island. In 1801, the Haitian army had taken all the land in both Haiti and its neighbor, the modern Dominican Republic, and l'Overture declared himself Governor-General of both states and abolished slavery. Napolean Bonaparte sent French troops to capture l'Overture two years later, however, and he died in prison soon after. The Haitian and French armies went back to war, with yet another Haitian victory. In 1804, Haiti was declared independent from French colonization.
The Haitian Revolution thus achieved its goals of independence from French colonization and abolition. While hundreds of thousands died in battle and l'Overture's rule of the country was limited, the country ultimately managed to gain the independence it went to war for, and freedom was granted to hundreds of thousands of former slaves.
No comments:
Post a Comment