HISTORY NOTES
SLAVERY IN THE BAHAMAS. CONTINUED
The Haitian Revolution- The Haitian Revolution was the only successful revolution in the Caribbean in which slaves totally overthrew the shackles of slavery. It started in 1791 in the French Colony of St.Domingue (Haiti).The whites and Mulattoes (mixed race) were at war over privileges by the revolutionary government of France. The people wanted three major things: Freedom, Equality and Fraternity (unity).

The slaves under the leadership of Toussaint L’Ouverture, seized the opportunity to capture vital areas and to fight the French .By 1795, he became known as “Master of the Colony”. He encouraged the ex-slaves to restart the development of the economy. However, he was captured in 1801 by the French and placed in a French prison until he died of Pneumonia in 1803.
[pic]

Fighting continued until January 1, 1804, when the island was declared independent by Jean-Jacque Dessalines. He renamed the island “Haiti” which means “Mountainous” in Arawak language. The island serves as a beacon of hope to slaves in other islands of the Caribbean who were still living in bondage.

HAITIAN SOCIAL HIERARCHY

GRAND BLANCS [Equality with whites in France]
|

PETITE BLANCS [Equality& Fraternity] |

MULATTOES [Equality] |

SLAVES [Freedom]

Dutty Boukman- He was a voodoo priest whose death was largely considered the start of the Haitian Revolution. He had predicted that Jean Francis, Biassou and Jeannot would be leaders of the slave revolt and would free the slaves of their bondage .Soon after the revolt began; Boukman was caught and beheaded by the French authorities.

JEAN-JACQUE DESSALINE- He was one of Toussaint’s lieutenants in the Haitian Revolution .He declared St.Domingue in 1804