Wherever the oppressive system of slavery was established
slave resistance was inevitable. John Beard (1833) in The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture emphasized that in such a condition where the master is
all-powerful and the slave helpless, ignorant and reduced to a mere laboring
machine, vice and misery must abound. The Haitian Revolution commenced a new
era in Caribbean history which culminated in overthrowing colonialism. The
following were all influenced responsible for this remarkable historical
change: the French Revolution, social stratification or inequality, European
philosophers, indomitable spirit of freedom, African influence, depletion of
the local garrison, and educated leaders.
- 1) The Enlightenment
- 2) French Revolution (1789-1799) Impact on Haiti
- 3) Execution of Vincent Oge´ & mulatto-black merger
- 4) Depletion of the local garrisons
- 5) Indomitable Spirit of Freedom (powerless slaves)
- 6) African Influence and Marronage
- 7) Religion (voodoo)
- 8) Educated and Ruthless Leaders (military tactics/weapons)
- 9) Yellow fever
- Click on comments for more information
Since you must do some research I will only provide some info.
ReplyDeleteReligion/Voodoo
ReplyDeleteReligion played an equally important part in the success of the revolution. It was not only the slaves’ militaristic attitude that made them a formidable force, however, it was also their unwavering belief in their religion-voodoo which gave them the mental confidence to rebel. In fact one can argue that this served as a double edged sword. This was also where Boukman the first of the revolution’s leaders came to the fore. Boukman a voodoo priest, on the 17th of August 1791 along with a priestess invoked the voodoo god Ogoun the god of fire, iron and war. He sacrificed a pig and drank its blood. Connor tells us that Boukman then addressed the attendants at the ceremony saying.
"The God of the white people demands of them crimes; our god asks for good deeds. But this god who is so good demands vengeance! He will direct our hands; he will aid us. Cast away the image of the god of the whites, who thirsts for our tears, and listen to the voice of liberty that speaks in all of our hearts."
The view is held that this gave the slaves the psychological thrust to begin the revolution under the leadership of Boukman. They believed that since they had the protection of Ogoun that they would win their freedom. So while the Whites and the mulattoes continued to bicker with each would win their freedom, the slaves began to attack the plantations on the northern side of the colony and as they went from plantation to plantation the number of revolting slaves grew. C.L.R. James tells us that;
The slaves destroyed tirelessly…. They knew that as long as these plantations stood their lot would be forced to labor on them until they dropped. The only thing was to destroy them. From their masters they had known rape, torture, degradation, and, at the slightest provocation, death. They returned in kind.
While voodoo acted as a positive catalyst for the slaves the whites were fearful of this religion that gave the slaves the confidence to execute such heinous actions on them. The slaves spared no one - men, women or children were killed and as the words reached others it drove a crippling fear into their hearts. Historians tell us that Boukman fell early in the revolution and although he was beheaded and hung for all to see, nothing could stop the slaves they were determined to win their freedom. The fall of Boukman did not shift the momentum of the revolution for after his death other leaders quickly filled his place.
More about the voodoo ceremony
ReplyDeleteIn August 1791, Boukman presided in the role of houngan (priest) together with an African-born priestess and conducted a freedom ceremony at the Bois Caïman and prophesied that the slaves Jean François, Biassou, and Jeannot would be leaders of a resistance movement and revolt that would free the slaves of Saint-Domingue. An animal, which symbolized the wild, free, and untameable spiritual power of the forest and the ancestors, was sacrificed, an oath was taken, and Boukman and the priestess exhorted the listeners to take revenge against their French oppressors and "[c]ast aside the image of the God of the oppressors." According to the Encyclopedia of African Religion, "Blood from the animal, and some say from humans as well, was given in a drink to the attendees to seal their fates in loyalty to the cause of liberation of Sainte-Domingue."
A week later, 1800 plantations had been destroyed and 1000 slaveholders killed. Boukman was not the first to attempt a slave uprising in Saint-Domingue, as he was preceded by others, such as Padrejean in 1676, and François Mackandal in 1757. However, his large size, warrior-like appearance, and fearsome temper made him an effective leader and helped spark the Haitian Revolution.[8]
According to Gothenburg University researcher Markel Thylefors, "The event of the Bwa Kayiman ceremony forms an important part of Haitian national identity as it relates to the very genesis of Haiti." This ceremony came to be characterized by various Christian sources as a "pact with the devil" that began the Haitian revolution.
Boukman was killed by the French in November, just a few months after the beginning of the uprising. The French then publicly displayed Boukman's head in an attempt to dispel the aura of invincibility that Boukman had cultivated.
African influence/Marronage
ReplyDeleteA further factor that contributed to the Haitian Revolution was the influence of maroon societies, which consisted of runaway slaves. In St. Domingue geography did not provide physical restraint as it did in the smaller islands. Marronage represented part of the spectrum of forms of resistance to slavery. The constant supply of imported slaves resulted in increasing Marronage and a proliferation of Maroon societies. In St. Domingue more than two-thirds of the slave population was native Africans. Native African slaves were more resentful, more intractable, and more ready for rebellion than the creole slaves. This could be seen in Toussaint successor Dessalines, the African –born, who was more ruthless than his predecessor. One historian said Dessalines emerged from the years of brutality and bloodshed to proclaim himself Emperor of the newly-named Haiti in 1804; having conducted the final extermination of the whites to secure his position. It was he, in 1800 who became the ‘scourge’ of the mulattoes and whites, leading the massacres in the south.
Maroon societies maintained the African culture which the planters deliberately tried to destroy. Therefore their culture was essentially African, being continually reinforces by new African runaways; this the inevitable process of Afro-Caribbean melding and the continuous links between plantation slaves and Maroons existed.
Michael Craton (1997) in “Forms of Resistance to Slavery” noted, “Grand Marronage was a perennial feature of the life of St. Domingue, and it became, perhaps, the crucial factor in the events of 1791-1804.” Maroon societies also practiced vodun, their main religion. The revolution witnessed charismatic vodun high priests like Jamaican born Dutty Boukman (Boukman Dutty) who knew no danger.
Indomitable Spirit of Freedom
ReplyDeleteThe slaves worked excessively hard and were poorly fed. Richard Sheridan argues that revolts occurred primarily because the slaves were overworked and underfed. On some estates, the whole labour force had to be renewed every five years. Historian Vere T. Daily (1993) said, “But the feeling that all men are equal is innate; and apart from the question of cruel treatment and injustice, it is probable that this deep instinct would from time to time have driven the slaves to rebel.” Proof of this can be found in the fact that many of the leading rebel slaves were well-treated and were domestic and artisan slaves like Toussaint and Coffy (in the Berbice rebellion). Thus their motive for rebelling must have been to gain their complete freedom.
Depletion of the Local Garrison
ReplyDeleteThe mulattoes and slaves were ever watchful to seize the opportunities to avenge the wrongs and acquire self-liberation. The presence of naval forces was a matter of metropolitan rather than colonial decision, and such forces were likely to be least available to subdue colonial slave revolts in time of international conflict. At the same time of the French Revolution the local garrison forces had been depleted and during Oge’s abortive revolt. It was further weakened after 1790. The slave-hunting force was greatly reduced, thus the events of 1789-91 definitely loosened the bonds holding the slaves on the plantations, and all the traditional Maroon refugees became crowded with new recruits once the major slave uprising occurred.
Remember heavy emphasis on quoting for this one and new quotes are always welcomed.
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