Crash Course World History: Haitian Revolutions

Introduction

• Host: John Green
• Focus: Haitian Revolutions
• Key Themes:
  • Ending slavery
  • Napoleon’s defeat

Background of San Domingo

• 17th Century Origins:

  • Established as a pirate outpost.
  • Economy started with selling leather and boucan (smoked beef).

• Shift to Piracy and Sugar Plantations:

  • Buccaneers transitioned to robbing Spanish galleons.
  • Invested in sugar plantations.
  • By 1700, it was a major sugar and coffee producer.

Social Structure

• Population Breakdown:

  • Grand Blancs (big white planters)
  • Free people of color
  • Petite Blancs (poor whites)
  • Slaves (90% of population by 19th century)

• Conditions for Slaves:

  • Extreme brutality on sugar plantations.
  • High mortality rates due to disease and harsh work conditions.

The Haitian Revolution

Causes of the Revolution

• Influence of the French Revolution (1789)
  • Inspired hope among free people of color and slaves.
  • Discontent among all societal groups.
  • Petit Blancs’ racial discrimination and independence demands.

Initial Revolts (1791)

• Slave Revolt:

  • Led by Toussaint Louverture.
  • Organized slaves into a disciplined army.

• External Influences:

  • Spanish and British involvement.
  • French military commanders' decision to free slaves to gain support.

Achievements and Challenges

• Emancipation (1794)

  • Slavery abolished by the French National Convention.
  • Louverture switched allegiance to France.

• Post-Emancipation Issues:

  • Continued plantation economy.
  • Civil war between Louverture and Rigaud.

Final Phase and Independence

• Napoleon's Regime (1799)

  • Plan to reintroduce slavery.
  • Sent an expedition to regain control.

• Resistance and Victory:

  • Louverture arrested; Dessalines led guerrilla warfare.
  • Disease (Yellow Fever) weakened French forces.

• Declaration of Independence (1804)

  • Haiti becomes the second free nation in the Americas.
  • Rejects European colonialism and racism.

Significance

• Legacy:
  • First nation governed by people of African descent.
  • Foiled Napoleon's imperial ambitions.
  • Emphasized protection for the oppressed.

Conclusion

• Haiti's revolution demonstrated the global significance of standing against slavery and colonial oppression.
• Despite post-revolution hardships, Haiti’s struggle remains a pivotal moment in world history.