History of Haiti

ColumbusArrived in New World—1492Established base in

Hispaniola Discovered gold

Spanish SettlersRushed to HispaniolaForced Indians to mine gold

and raise foodBy 1530 only few hundred

Indians survived because of harsh treatment

Brought in slaves from Africa

Spanish Settlers Left for more prosperous colonies By 1606 so few left that Spanish

king ordered those remaining to move closer to main city (Santo Domingo)

Hispaniola, 1606 (Dutch

map)

French, English, & Dutch Settled N & W areas of island Many became pirates

–Attacked Spanish gold/silver shipments

Spain tried, unsuccessfully, to drive them out– In 1697, Spain recognized French control of W 1/3 of island

Renamed St. Dominique

French colonists brought African slaves

Developed large coffee & spice plantations

By 1788, 8 times more slaves (500,000) than

colonists

Toussaint’s Background

Birth ?—1743 to 1746Plantation on St. Dominique

Personal servant to humane man–Opportunity to learn

Toussaint’s Family Eldest of 8 children Father had been African chief Parents & grandfather taught

him:–History–Languages–Philosophy

–Math –Family traditions–Christian faith

Struggle for Haitian Independence

1789-1804

1789French RevolutionNational Assembly issued

Declaration of the Rights of Man –Free people of color in St. Dominique did not get promised citizenship

1790March 8National Assembly

–Voted to allow colonial whites to determine Haiti’s political life

–People of color could not vote

1791May 15National Assembly gave all free

men of color (with 2 free parents) full rights

Forced white colonists to consider separation from France

1791Aug. 22-23Slave revolt due to brutal slave

system–Toussaint helped his master’s family escape

St. Dominique whites decided to fight for freedom from France

1791Toussaint joined fight

–Doctor for St. Dominique army

–Eventually a leader (knowledge based on reading works by Caesar & others)

1791Sept. 24Assembly revoked May 15th

decree (rights to free men of color)

1792March 28Assembly reversed again

–All free men of color got full citizen rights

1792April 4Louis XVI signed May 15th

decree

1793February 1France declared war on BritainToussaint supported Spanish

–Spanish king would be secure–French republic too insecure

1793AugustNational Convention abolished

slavery in St. DominiqueBy year’s end, Toussaint had

conquered north-central St. Dominique for Spain

1793

Spain and Britain –Encouraged slaves to get freedom from the French

–May have had informal arrangement to divide colony

1794February 4France abolished slavery in

colonies

1794May 6Toussaint abandoned Spanish

–Spanish showed no signs of keeping word on freeing slaves

–British had reinstated slavery –If freedom was his goal, he had no choice…support the French

1794He joined French on

promise of freedom –Helped his family flee beforehand

–Became brigadier generalTide then swung in favor of

French

1794 July 22Peace agreement between

France and Spain

1795Treaty of Basel

–Spain ceded holdings to France–Ceased hostilities

Blacks who had remained loyal to Spanish flocked to Toussaint’s army

1796March 30Toussaint rescued French

commander from Mulatto-led effort to depose him–Made lieutenant governor of St. Dominique

1797 French Convention made

Toussaint commander-in-chief He resolved to establish

autonomous black state–Expelled French commissioner–Made agreement with Britain to end hostilities

–Sought loyalty of Mulattos

1799After defeat of Spanish &

British, he moved toward independence from France

Wanted to be on equal footing with France and other major powers

1799War of the CastesFrench sought Mulatto

support to retain dominion over colony

Toussaint’s army fought Mulattos

1799 Asked US President John Adams

for help–Adams wanted the arrangement–US young, insecure nation

The agreement…–Adams sent arms and ships–Toussaint would stop French from using island as base

1799French & US Revolutions

inspired him –Some officers had fought with French army in US War for Ind.

French governor gave him nickname L’Ouverture (break through enemy lines)

1799 Jefferson

–Referred to Toussaint’s army as cannibals

–As President, reversed Adams’ St. Dominique policies

1799Nov. 9—Napoleon came to

powerWanted:

–Toussaint out–To reestablish slavery

1800May Toussaint became military

dictator (efficiency)Worked on restoring order &

productivity

1800Needed export-oriented

economyRe-imposed plantation system

–Utilized non-slaves–Basically relied on forced labor

1800Oct. 1Secret treaty of San

IldefonsoSpain ceded Louisiana to

France

1801Colonial Assembly approved

constitution–Toussaint became Governor-General-For-Life

He “liberates” St. Dominique–Never formally severs bond with France

1801Constitution gave Napoleon

reason for sending French troops–French colony acting as independent state

Worried slave-holding nations (Britain & US)

1801Napoleon saw St. Dominique

as essential to French exploitation of New World

Napoleon is weakened–Toussaint drained resources of the colony

1802 January Napoleon sent troops to re-

enslave Blacks of St. Dominique–Aided by Mulattos & Whites

Two of Toussaint’s lieutenants transferred their allegiance to French

1802May 5Toussaint, recognizing his

weak position, surrenderedFrench assured him that he

could retire quietly

1802 JuneToussaint taken to FranceForbade his soldiers from

retaliating against French prisoners

1802

French commander, Rochambeau, retreated–Mutilated black prisoners and left them to die slowly

1802Toussaint’s troops had

French prisoners hanged within sight of

French army

1802US newspapers covered uprisings

with Toussaint as black Napoleon –Intensified US slaveholders’ fear of US slave revolt

Inspired British (on verge of abolishing slave trade) to keep it

1802Other Blacks who had sided

with French now turned against them because of:–Betrayal of Toussaint–Napoleon’s restoration of slavery in Martinique

1803April 7Died of neglect in a jail in

the Alps

1803 April 30 Louisiana Purchase

–Napoleon needed money to fight British (began to consider sale on April 10)

–Revolution in St. Dominique crushed hope of American empire

1803May 12Britain declared war on

France –Aided Haitian rebels–Gave French someone to surrender to other than Blacks

1803November French commander in St.

Dominique surrendered to British –Never had gotten enough reinforcements and supplies

1804 January 1 Toussaint’s successor (one of his

lieutenants) declared St. Dominique the independent country of Haiti

Jean Jacques Dessalines became Haiti's first emperor in 1804– Gave it Arawak name Haiti– World's first independent black

republic

1822—After Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti