THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION

The story behind the most successful slave rebellion in history

Partly inspired by the French Revolution and after suffering years of oppression and brutality, the enslaved people on the plantations of Saintdomingue – the French colony on the island of Hispaniola – launched an organised revolt in August 1791. They burned numerous plantations, killed their masters, and by March 1792, the French government had granted civil and political rights to free Black people in an attempt to regain control.

However, the rebels formed alliances with the British and Spanish, who had both declared war against the French in 1793. Hoping to take advantage of France’s problems in the colony, the British and Spanish provided the rebels with supplies such as food, weapons and medicine. To put an end to this, the French government was forced to abolish slavery in its colonies, including Saint-domingue, in 1794.

During the revolt, former slave Toussaint Louverture had emerged as the leader of the rebels. After slavery was abolished, he subsequently joined sides with the French and helped them prevent Spain and Britain from overtaking the colony. He eventually named himself as Governor-general for life of Saint-domingue in 1801 after consolidating his control, but he was arrested by Napoleon’s forces the following year.

After Louverture’s arrest, Napoleon declared that he wanted to reintroduce slavery in Haiti. This triggered a new revolt in 1802 led by Jean-jacques Dessalines, one of Louverture’s lieutenants, which saw the French forces ultimately defeated at the Battle of Vertières in 1803. After the French officially surrendered, Saint-domingue was declared independent from France on 1 January 1804. Renamed Haiti, it became the first country to be founded by former slaves, with the revolution inspiring other revolts across the Caribbean and United States.