The Haitian Revolution
Basic Gist
Who: Haitian slaves seeking independence from French colonization as well as slavery.
What: The first successful revolution by slaves in all of history.
When: 1791 - 1804
Where: The revolutions took place in what is now known as the Haitian Republic in Latin America. At the time, Haiti was known as French St. Dominigue, an incredibly productive colony of Europe.
Why: Nearly 93% of the Haitian population were slaves and the working conditions were notoriously horrible and the slaves received no credit for any of their work. In addition, the French Revolution that had just taken place which prompted the Haitians to spark a revolution of their own. The benefits of said revolution reach a large demographic and include fewer economic restriction on trade, equality among races, personal freedom, and citizenship for all.
How: Former slaves, such as Pierre Toussaint L’Ouverture and Jacques Dessalines, led the revolt. Declaring Haiti a free republic in 1804, Dessalines named himself governor-general for life which aided in defeating Napoleon’s attempts to reestablish control through the early 1800s.