In 1789 is made the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, set by France's National Constituent Assembly. In 1791, the enslaved Africans of Saint-Domingue began the

Haitian Revolution The Haitian Revolution (french: révolution haïtienne ; ht, revolisyon ayisyen) was a successful insurrection by slave revolt, self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt ...

, aimed at the overthrow of the colonial regime.

Background

Arawak and Taino people inhabited for more than one thousand years what was later known as

Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...

. Christopher Columbus arrived to the island on December 5, 1492. The name Haiti (or ''Hayti'') comes from the indigenous Taíno language which was the native name given to the entire island of

to mean, "land of high mountains." Saint-Domingue () became a French colony from 1659 to 1804 on the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

island of

. Early attempts were made by slaves in order to recover their freedom, among them can be named the uprising in Saint-Domingue made by

Padrejean Padre Jean (or Padrejean) was a slave on the island of Hispaniola. In 1676, he attempted to overthrow his slavemaster and consequently form a revolution. This occurred in the town of Port-de-Paix. This is stated to have been the spark that led to th ...

in 1676, and the uprising of

François Mackandal François Mackandal (c.1730-c.1758) was a Haitian Maroon leader in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). He is sometimes described as a Haitian vodou priest, or houngan. For joining Maroons to kill slave owners in Saint-Dom ...

in 1757 In France was taking place the French Revolution, on 21 June 1791, King Louis XVI attempted to flee secretly with his family but his plan failed due to a series of misadventures, delays, misinterpretations, and poor judgments. Louis was officially arrested on 13 August 1792 and sent to the Temple, an ancient fortress in Paris that was used as a prison. On 21 September, the National Assembly declared France to be a republic, and abolished the monarchy. Louis was stripped of all of his titles and honors, and from this date was known as ''Citoyen Louis Capet.''

1791 slave rebellion

News of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen were received by the Hispaniola citizens and prompted the reclamation of their rights. On the night of August 14, 1791, representative slaves from nearby plantations of Le Cap gathered to participate in a secret ceremony conducted in the woods in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, during the ceremony Dutty Boukman and priestess

Cécile Fatiman Cécile Fatiman (1771-1883), was a Haitian vodou priestess, a mambo. She is famous for her participation in the vodou ceremony at Bois Caïman, which is considered to be one of the starting points of the Haitian Revolution. Early life and origi ...

prophesied that

Georges Biassou George Biassou (1 January 1741 – 14 July 1801) was an early leader of the 1791 slave rising in Saint-Domingue that began the Haitian Revolution. With Jean-François and Jeannot, he was prophesied by the vodou priest, Dutty Boukman, to lead ...

Jeannot Jeannot Bullet, often mononymed as Jeannot, was a leader of the 1791 slave rising that began the Haitian Revolution. With Biassou and Jean François, he was prophesied by Dutty Boukman to lead the revolution, and fought with the Spanish royalists ...

, Jean-François Papillon would lead the revolution, months later they killed the plantation owners to whom they were enslaved.

Haitian Revolution

Many generals fought in the Haitian revolution, some of they were

Macaya Macaya (floruit 1802), was a Kongolese-born Haitian revolutionary military leader. Macaya was one of the first black rebel leaders in Saint-Domingue to ally himself with the French Republican commissioners Sonthonax and Polverel. He helped to ...

François Capois François Capois (or François Cappoix; 1766 – October 8, 1806, nicknamed Capois-La-Mort, also Cappoix-la-Mort, meaning "Capois-Death") was a Haitian officer in the Haitian Revolution (1791–1794) for independence from France. He was bor ...

Jean-Baptiste Belley Jean-Baptiste Belley (c. July 1746 – 6 August 1805) was a Saint Dominican and French politician. A native of Senegal and former slave from Saint-Domingue, in the French West Indies, he was an elected member of the Estates General, the Nati ...

Magloire Ambroise Magloire Ambroise (Jacmel, Saint-Domingue, 1774 - Port-au-Prince December 7, 1807), was a hero of the Haitian Independence. His military career began in the colonial army. Life During the War of Knives between Toussaint Louverture in the North a ...

Nicolas Geffrard (general) Nicolas Geffrard (b. 10 November 1761 in Camp-Perrin - d. May 31, 1806 in Les Cayes) was a Haitian general, and a participant in the Haitian Revolution. He was a signatory to the Haitian Declaration of Independence. Born on the Périgny estate in ...

, and

Étienne Élie Gerin Etienne Elie Gérin (December 19, 1757 – January 18, 1810) was a Haitian military and politician. He was a general of the Armée indigène and later the Haitian army. During the reign of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, he served as the minister of war. ...

, some of the battles of the revolution were: *

Battle of Croix-des-Bouquets The Battle of Croix-des-Bouquets took place during the Haitian Revolution. Battle Chased from Port-au-Prince, the army of Mulattoes and free colored people commanded by Beauvais and Rigaud reformed at La Croix-des-Bouquets. The arrival of th ...

(22 March 1792), * Siege of Port-au-Prince (12–14 April 1793),

Étienne Maynaud de Bizefranc de Laveaux Étienne Maynaud de Bizefranc de Laveaux (or Mayneaud, Lavaux; 8 August 1751 – 12 May 1828) was a French general who was Governor of Saint-Domingue from 1793 to 1796 during the French Revolution. He ensured that the law that freed the slaves was ...

was the French Governor of Saint-Domingue 13 June 1793 – 11 May 1796. The French government's decree of 16 Pluviôse an II (4 February 1794) freed the slaves, and news of this historic event reached Saint-Domingue in May 1794.Laveaux ensured that the law that freed the slaves was enforced, and supported the black leader Toussaint Louverture. *

Battle of Cap-Français (1793) The Battle of Cap-Français took place from 20 to 22 June 1793 during the Haitian Revolution. Prelude Arrival of Commissioners in Saint-Domingue On 17 September 1792, the commissars Léger-Félicité Sonthonax, Étienne Polverel and Jean-Ant ...

(20–22 June 1793). * Battle of the Acul (19 February 1794), * Battle of Saint-Raphaël (20–21 March 1794), * Battle of Gonaïves (29 April–5 May 1794), * War of Knives (1799 to 1800): It was a civil war from June 1799 to July 1800 between the

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

an revolutionary Toussaint Louverture, a black ex-slave who controlled the north of

Saint-Domingue Saint-Domingue () was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1804. The name derives from the Spanish main city in the island, Santo Domingo, which came to refer ...

(modern-day

), and his adversary

André Rigaud Benoit Joseph André Rigaud (17 January 1761 – 18 September 1811) was the leading mulatto military leader during the Haitian Revolution. Among his protégés were Alexandre Pétion and Jean-Pierre Boyer, both future presidents of Haïti. Ea ...

, a mixed-race free person of color who controlled the south. Louverture and Rigaud fought over ''de facto'' control of the French colony of

during the war. *

Battle of Ravine-à-Couleuvres The Battle of Ravine-à-Couleuvres ( Haitian Creole: ''Batay Ravin Koulèv''), fought on 23 February 1802, was a major battle of the Saint-Domingue expedition during the Haitian Revolution. A French division under General Donatien de Rochambeau ...

(23 February 1802) * Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot (4 March - 24 March 1802), * Blockade of Saint-Domingue (18 June – 6 December 1803), *

Action of 28 June 1803 The action of 28 June 1803 marked the opening shots of the Blockade of Saint-Domingue after the collapse of the Treaty of Amiens and the outbreak of the War of the Third Coalition in May 1803. A French heavy frigate and a corvette, both partially ...

* Battle of Vertières (18 November 1803)

Haitian Declaration of Independence

The Haitian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on 1 January 1804 in the port city of Gonaïves by

Jean-Jacques Dessalines Jean-Jacques Dessalines (Haitian Creole: ''Jan-Jak Desalin''; ; 20 September 1758 – 17 October 1806) was a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent First Empire of Haiti, Haiti under the Constitution of Haiti, 1 ...

, marking the end of 13-year long

. The declaration marked Haiti's becoming the first independent Black nation in the Western Hemisphere.Copied from the article

Haitian Declaration of Independence The Haitian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on 1 January 1804 in the port city of Gonaïves by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, marking the end of 13-year long Haitian Revolution. The declaration marked Haiti becoming the first independent nati ...

became the first ruler of an independent Haiti under the 1805 constitution, the Governor-General of Haiti from 1 January 1804 to 2 September 1804, and the Emperor of Haiti from 2 September 1804 to 17 October 1806.

References

{{North America topic, Slavery in Slavery in Haiti History of Haiti Human rights abuses in Haiti Reparations for slavery

Background

1791 slave rebellion

Haitian Revolution

Haitian Declaration of Independence

See also

References