#Haiti Revolution

[sankofaspirit]

"You must become like your natural enemies cruel and merciless."

Jean-Jacques Dessalines

[alpaca-clouds]

The Haitian Revolution

Yeah, okay. I guess to properly do the history thing, I also have to talk about the Haitian Revolution, don't I? Given that it is so important for the backstory of both Annette and Edouard.

Why didn't I do that so far? Because the Haitian Revolution is super hard to talk about because of the sources. A bit issue is that for a good part of it we only have French sources, that are not always the most... neutral. Because a lot of the rebelling slaves had never learned to write. As such, we actually do not know a lot about the side of the rebels until some Free Blacks started to take their side and lead the rebellion.

But I know a bit.

So, let me explain what I know.

Haiti (St. Domingue specifically, the French side of the island) was build exclusively on slave work. There were plantation there for indigo, sugar and coffee for the most part. And those plantation were very important for the French economy. And of course it was slaves working those plantations.

On the island there was a three class system (though if we are honest, it was a four class system).

Whites, who were free people and citizens of France. (Though in truth there was a difference between the plantation owning whites and those whites, who were not of the owning class.)

Free Black people. What differed in Haiti from the US for example is that it happened quite often that children of rape (white owners on Black slaves) would be freed and even adopted as children. While not considered citizens, they could own things, including their own plantations. (Yes, there were quite a few of these that owned slaves.)

Slaves, who outnumbered all other people on the island somewhere between seven to one and ten to one.

Now, most slaves did not survive the first three years after getting to the island. Many died in fact in their first year, because the working conditions were so harsh, they often did not receive food, were severely punished (through it receiving infections and such), and of course there was just the general issue of sicknesses.

There were people rebelling a long while and from what we know (again, there is so little in terms of sources) there were some escaped slaves living in the mountains and at times using guirella tactics. But there was not quite the move for a widespread rebellion starting...

That was until the French Revolution started. Once more the gentle reminder: The French Revolution took a long while to brew and originally was not a violent revolution, it only became violent in response to the violent oppression of it. Now, the people on St. Domingue were instructed not to talk about the Revolution, because some folks rightly assumed that it might give people ideas. Especially as among the Revolutionaries there was a big discussion about the abolition of slavery.

But in the end... Well, it did not work out and the freed slaves banded together for a proper uprising in 1791.

It is this uprising that we see in Nocturne. I have seen some people being very shocked in the human on human violence we see there, because folks are really whimpy when it comes to that. So, a little explanation: Originally (in the 1791) uprising the slave uprising was once again not very violent. Almost everyone who got killed was connected to immense abuses of slaves. The rebels tried to spare everyone who treated their slaves kindly. As such within that first uprising only 400 whites got killed, compared to 4000 Black people, as the French were much better armed.

Still, the rebels managed to capture part of the island.

It should be noted: This is probably around the time when Annette and Edouard left. They captured some plantation, and freed quite a few more slaves.

There would follow quite a bit of back and forth then. Especially between Haiti and the French Republic. And I would not be surprised if we were to see that in the coming season(s).

Mostly, because the Revolitionaries went back and forth between whether Free Black people could be citizens who got to vote or not. Making the Free Blacks, who originally were against the revolution, more and more take the side of the rebels.

And yes, it would get more and more violent. Because France and then later Britain, too (who did not agree with France on many things - but on saving slavery) threw thousands upon thousand of soldiers in fighting down the revolution with extreme violence, leading the Haitian Revolutionaries to answer this violence with their own violence.

But for the love of God, do not go there and be like: "Ugh, violence. Violence bad." Like, fuck that. I said that about Isaac before as well: Slaves freeing themselves have the right to use whatever violence necessary for that.

[dasjungeding]

Vue de l’incendie de la ville du Cap Français, 21 juin 1793.

[greencarnation]

When will the revolution come?

I think it's here. A revolution isn't when everyone collectively wakes up one day and goes "time to destroy the government", a revolution is just a series of events grouped together that we will call a revolution later. They take time. French revolution? 10 years. American revolution? 7 years. We're already underway - maybe we have been since as early as the BLM protests in 2020. What we need to do now is just do our part and build momentum

[theorahsart]

In case yourself or anyone is interested, I found a graphic novel about this topic in my local bookshop a couple weeks ago:

Apparently adapted from a play by CLR James, a Trinidadian historian and activist, who also wrote 'The Black Jacobins'.

I'm very excited to read this! But as you can tell from the wrapping, Im in the process of moving house lol But Ill share my thoughts once Im done moving :3 The Black Jacobins is on my list too!

the haitian revolution and toussaint in general doesn’t get enough love and attention and as a collective i think frevblr should be more focused on it. and napoleon fans. i dont like u.

[afriblaq]

This ending scene in Wakanda Forever, Shuri finds out that T’Challa & Nakia had a son.

Nakia was in hiding in Haiti.

They named their son Toussaint.

Today is the anniversary of the real life Toussaint Louverture leading the Haitian slave revolt that defeated Napoleon and the French, earning their liberation and freedom.

The way Ryan Coogler wrote this and so many other gems and easter eggs within the Black Panther films is absolutely incredible.

Unfortunately, The United States of America and France have PUNISHED Haiti for revolting against slavery.

For 122 years, Haiti was forced to pay BILLIONS to France in REPARATIONS to SLAVEHOLDERS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS.

America helped force Haiti to do so.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris was paid for by Haiti…

Haiti gained its independence but was unable to invest in its own infrastructure as a new nation because of the crippling debt.

Many people are ignorant or play ignorant as to how events that happened over 100 years ago could have direct implications on how things are today.

The world is changing. Colonizers who have ruined the earth and treated people of color with evil and as less than human are continuing to be exposed.

This is why they want to control which parts of history are taught in schools.

Happy Independence Day Haiti. ✊🏿 🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹

Toussaint Louverture (born c. 1743, Bréda, near Cap-Français, Saint-Domingue [Haiti]—died April 7, 1803, Fort-de-Joux, France) was the leader of the Haitian independence movement during the French Revolution (1787–99). He emancipated the enslaved people and negotiated for the French colony on Hispaniola, Saint- Domingue (later Haiti), to be governed, briefly, by formerly enslaved people as a French protectorate.

[nesiacha]

Mini Portraits of Three Revolutionary Women from Overseas Territories

French womens revolutionaries from mainland France are largely forgotten in France. But those from the Overseas Territories and Haiti are even more overlooked.

Victoria Montou aka Aunt Toya (presumed portrait)

(? – 1805)

A former slave working for the colonist Henri Duclos, she would be considered a second mother by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the future Lieutenant General under Toussaint Louverture, who briefly allied with General Leclerc as a strategic move before fighting against him again and becoming Emperor of Haiti. It is believed that she taught Dessalines about African culture and some combat skills while they were enslaved. Duclos saw their association as dangerous and decided to get rid of them by selling them to different slave owners, ensuring their separation.

On her new estate, where she was exploited again , Dr. Jean-Baptiste Mirambeau, who would later become the Emperor’s physician, noted, "Her commands are identical to those of a general." This observation would prove accurate as events unfolded. Toya led a group of slaves she was affiliated with, and together they took up arms, fighting against a regiment. According to Mirambeau, "This small group of rebels, under Toya's command, was quickly surrounded and captured by the regiment. During the struggle, Toya fled, pursued by two soldiers; a hand-to-hand combat ensued, and Toya severely wounded one of them. The other, with the help of additional soldiers who arrived in time, captured Toya."

Upon the proclamation of independence in January 1804 and Dessalines’ coronation as Emperor, he made Victoria Montou an imperial duchess. However, she fell gravely ill in 1805. Jean-Jacques Dessalines tried to heal her, saying, "This woman is my aunt; treat her as you would have treated me. She endured, alongside me, all the hardships and emotions while we were condemned to work the fields together." She died on June 12, 1805. She was given a grand funeral; her funeral procession was carried by eight brigadiers of the imperial guard and led by Empress Marie-Claire Bonheur.

Marthe Rose-Toto (1762? – December 2, 1802)

Marthe Rose-Toto was born around 1762 on the island of Saint Lucia, which became free following the abolition of slavery in Guadeloupe in 1794. According to some sources, she became a close companion of Louis Delgrès, an officer and fervent republican revolutionary, so much so that he was called a "Sans Culotte" by Jean-Baptiste Raymond de Lacrosse ( I've already discussed Louis Delgrès here: https://www.tumblr.com/nesiacha/751677840407330816/on-this-day-die-louis-delgres-freedom-fighter?source=share) . However, in 1802, Bonaparte sought to reinstate slavery and sent General Richepance. Louis Delgrès and many others took up arms. It is noteworthy that women were as present as men in this struggle to maintain their freedom and dignity. When all was lost, Louis Delgrès and 300 volunteers chose to commit suicide by explosives, shouting the revolutionary cry "Live free or die," after ensuring the evacuation of the estate for those who were not willing. The repression was brutal.

According to historian Auguste Lacour, during the evacuation, Marthe Rose-Toto broke her leg and was brought to the tribunal on a stretcher. She was accused of inciting Louis Delgrès' resistance and inciting the murder of white prisoners. It should be noted that these accusations were generally false, intended to legitimize death sentences. She was hanged, and according to Lacour, her last words were, "Men, after killing their king, left their country to come to ours to bring trouble and confusion: may God judge them!" In any case, Marthe Rose-Toto is considered one of the most important women in the fight against the reinstatement of slavery, alongside Rosalie, also known as Solitude. Their struggles and sacrifices should not be forgotten, and they were not in vain, as slavery was once again abolished in 1848.

Flore Bois Gaillard

Flore Bois Gaillard was a former slave and also a leader. She was reportedly one of the leaders of the "Brigands" revolt on the island of Saint Lucia during the French Revolution. Little is known about her as a former slave, only that she lived in the colony of Saint Lucia. Local historian Thomas Ferguson says of Flore Bois Gaillard, "A woman named Flore Bois Gaillard—a name that evokes intrepidity—was among the main leaders of the revolutionary party," and that during the French Revolution, she was "a central figure in this turbulent group that would be defeated by the military strategies of Colonel Drummond in 1797."

The group that included Flore Bois Gaillard consisted of former slaves, French revolutionaries, soldiers, and English deserters. They were determined to fight against the English regiments, notably through guerrilla strategies. This group won a notable battle, the Battle of Rabot in 1795, with the help of Governor Victor Hugues and, according to some, also with the help of Louis Delgrès and Pelage. However, this group was ultimately defeated by the British, who retook the island in 1797. At this point, Flore Bois Gaillard’s trace is lost. Writer Édouard Glissant imagines in his book that she was executed by the British after the island was retaken in 1797. Nevertheless, she remains a symbol in this struggle and a national heroine. The example of Flore Bois Gaillard is also interesting because it clearly shows us once again that the French Revolution was also taking place in the overseas departments and that slaves or former slaves played a crucial role there in order to make her revolution triumph and were in all the battles.

[reasoningdaily]

apparently his proclamation became fact - cause ariel henry has ran for the safety of Puerto Rico's beaches. america when will you learn to stop interfering in other sovereign countries affairs

Viva HAITI - SAC PASSE'

Gang leader Jimmy Barbeque threatens more violence if Haiti’s prime minister doesn’t resign

[thererisesaredstar]

Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture (ca. 1800)

[nickysfacts]

Just remember ladies that Erzulie Dantor is always watching over us!

🇭🇹🧕🏾🗡

[sankofaspirit]

Dutty Boukman was a key figure in the Haitian Revolution and is remembered as a religious and revolutionary leader. He was likely born around 1767, possibly in Senegambia (West Africa), though his exact place of birth is uncertain. According to some historical accounts, Boukman was originally enslaved in Jamaica, where he worked on plantations. His nickname "Boukman" is believed to come from his literacy or knowledge of religious texts—he may have been called "Book Man" for his ability to read, a rare skill among enslaved people.

While in Jamaica, Boukman may have been exposed to the island's cultural mix of African spirituality and Christian influences. However, after an attempted revolt or for being considered rebellious, he was reportedly sold by his British owners and transported to Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti), a French colony. There, he continued working as an enslaved person but became a leader within the Vodou religious community.

Boukman’s role in the Haitian Revolution is best remembered for the Vodou ceremony he led at Bois Caïman on August 14, 1791. This gathering of enslaved Africans is considered a turning point that inspired the large-scale uprising against the French colonial regime. Boukman's powerful spiritual leadership and revolutionary vision helped ignite the revolution, which ultimately led to the creation of Haiti as the first independent Black republic in 1804.

Not long after the revolt began, Boukman was captured and killed by French forces in November 1791. His death was meant to discourage the revolution, but instead, it solidified his status as a martyr and symbol of resistance against colonial oppression. Boukman’s legacy is celebrated in both Haitian and Jamaican history as a symbol of defiance and the fight for freedom. 🇭🇹

[alpaca-clouds]

The Revolution of Saint Domingue after 1793

Alright @xshingie asked me about what happened on Saint Domingue after the events of 1793, because of the violence that eventually happened there. Which is quite convenient, as my French History tome just reached the "Revolution in the Colonies".

Castlevania Nocturne does a bit into the original slave uprising, which we mainly see from Annette's POV. This is your friendly reminder: If you saw the violence inflicted on some of the white plantation owners and thought "How horrible!" then you are a shitty person. Because the violence inflicted on those slaves before had been a lot worse. Slavery is the worst kind of violence. Always.

However, Nocturne obviously does not go that far into the details of it. Specifically it does not fully go into the difference between Free Men of Color, and the Black Slaves, and how only recently those Free Men were also considered citizen. It does not go into how a lot of Free Men also owned slaves. And most notably it also does not go into the mistake of the French Revolution to send a commander to Saint Domingue, who was an abolitionist, to stop the revolution in the colony. He obviously arrived there and was like: "Hey, rebels. Would you stop rebelling, if we gave you freedom and full rights of citizens?" And they were like: "Duh, that is what we are rebelling for." And he wrote back to France: "Welp, my hands are tied. It turns out I need to given them freedom."

And indeed, this succeeded. France declared the end of slavery, and while a lot of whites fled from the colonies to what was the freshly founded USA, where slavery was still legal. However, not all whites fled.

Of course, there was another problem, though: While some of the now freed people just started their own little farms where they cultivated food for themselves, which worked fine in feeding the people for now, some people understood how much worth the colonial products were to France and how much they were needed to support the revolution.

So, while the people were freed, many of them were ultimately forced again to work on the sugar and tabacco plantations - even though now they were being paid. They still were not given a choice about their work, which created a rather bad atmosphere. Because those people did not want to work those same sugar fields, obviously.

And of course the white French, who remained on the Island were not happy with those changed results. And there were several counter revolutionary attempts, but for a couple of days they went nowhere. Yes, people died because of it, but it still did not change anything.

And among the people on Saint Domingue - especially the Blacks - there rose the idea of being an independent republic.

Then came Napoleon.

I really cannot overemphasize how much Napoleon is responsible for everything in Europe and the former colonies today - especially the former French colonies.

In 1792 Toussaint Louverture, a self-freed slave took over the leadership role in Saint Domingue, and he had those ideas of making the country independent. And then Napoleon came into power in France, and Napoleon very much hated that idea.

Mind you, Napoleon was originally a revolutionary soldier. But basically Napoleon was: "You know what the problem was with absolute power? The wrong person in power. Thankfully I am the right person!"

I will not go too much into details when it comes to military movements and tactics. Let's just say: Napoleon send people over to Saint Domingue to regain the island. Spain and England also tried to get the island. And the free Blacks decided to use scortch earth tactics. Meaning: When they had to retreat, they would burn everything down that they left, so that the other armies had nothing to gain. (Something the Soviets later would also use a lot.)

During the conflicts that happened during the next one and a half years (mainly between 1801 and 1802) there were happening a lot of smaller "massacres", as the free Blacks trying to gain the island for themselves, were afraid that the whites would turn against them and cooperate with Napoleon's troops. So again and again there were white people killed, all while the idea of an indepedent nation started to emerge - icnluding the name of Haiti being brought up.

Eventually Toussaint however got captured through a French trick, and died shortly after in France. This lead to the Napoleonic forces to take Haiti.

However, this win was not long lived. Because remember the English and the Spanish? Yeah, they were here to get that Island. And there was further fighting - and in the end? The Haitians managed to win the island for themselves, but with people on all sides trying to push them down.

You have to understand this one thing: The Haitians, all of them Black, ruling themselves, was setting what the white colonialists would call "a dangerous precedent". Other slaves could get ideas, right? And oh boy, the white people did not want that. So they had to punish the Haitians for their win.

They forced Haiti to pay for their own freedom (I will talk about that more tomorrow), and tried to put all sorts of tariffs and what not onto exports from the island. And this... well, eventually lead to a massive pushback.

Now, there were a couple of times that white colonialist forces clashed with Black Haitians. And since the Revolution had started more than 200 000 Black people had been killed, compared to around 20 000 White French colonists. In fact, most people who died for France (about 70 000) where free colored people.

And, well... At some point the decision was made to expulse the white people from the island, and kill those who refused to leave. And mind you, a lot of people were reluctant about it. In fact, a lot of Blacks helped white people to flee the Island. But yeah, eventually about 5000 additional people were massacred. But mind you, this brought the number of those killed during the entire attempt for freedom of Haiti to about 270 000 non-whites vs. 25 000 white people (well, and then there were some white English, but those would have died either way, pretty much).

And yes, there is some chances: If Richter Belmont was still on St. Domingue by 1804, there is a chance that he might have been killed as well.

So... Let's tomorrow talk about the French Colonial Tax.

[dasjungeding]

Illustration from An Historical Account of the Black Empire of Hayti, by Marcus Rainford, 1805.

“Revenge taken by the black army for the cruelties practiced on them by the French”.

[haitianhistory]

On Haiti's 220th anniversary

Two hundred and twenty years ago, former slaves and free people of color accomplished the seemingly impossible: defeating one of the most formidable European armies of the day and establishing a new state where bondage, as it existed before 1791, would be forever abolished.

For those who have followed this blog since 2013, you know that I (admin A) have rarely allowed myself any sentimentality when discussing Haitian history. I have tried to present a nuanced portrait of Haiti’s past by addressing the weight of the many isms that have plagued its history (colonialism, racism, neoliberalism…) and by taking a critical look at the role of Haitian leaders throughout all these episodes.

Two hundred and twenty years after the unthinkable, Haiti finds itself without a president, grappling with what seems to be a permanent problem of armed gangs, little security, renewed multifaceted tensions with its Dominican neighbour, and on the brink of a new UN occupation through a Kenyan mission. The young woman who started this blog a decade ago would have said that there are little reasons for us as Haitians to celebrate—not because of a difficulty appreciating the great shoulders on which we stand, but because, at twenty-two years old, I didn’t believe in what I felt was useless romanticism binding us to a distorted past while also blinding us to the reality of the disastrous present.

Today, it’s not so much that I find much to rejoice in given the current state of affairs. It’s that I realize, what is the point of all this if there is no hope? Why this blog, why study the history of Haiti at all, why care about the country? For those of us with family there, why not temporarily send money in the hope of helping them relocate here, there, and anywhere except Haiti? Why not congratulate the complete erosion of Haitian sovereignty, as post-1986 Haiti, and especially Haiti of the last two decades, has shown so vividly the complete utter failure of its foreign-backed governing class?

I don’t know what hope is supposed to look like in this situation. Hope for what? Hope for a change under what conditions, under whose authority? On what would this hope be grounded? Perhaps, despite the best efforts of my twenty-two-year-old self, I am becoming as naive and sentimental as the people I silently criticized then...

Perhaps, however, I recognize that Haiti does matter. Even the most cynical among us would admit that there is something profoundly radical in breaking the bonds of slavery, in affirming that people of African descent could not be stripped of their humanity, that there is something poetic in saying “no” in the face of impressive odds. Newly independent Haiti did not live up to some of the promises of its complicated Revolution. The 1825 French imposition of an indemnity severely affected freshly formed Haiti (beyond the 19th century), but it does not excuse the incompetence of Haitian governments, then and now. Haiti could, may have, and I certainly hope, will change, will remember what 1804 ought to have meant.

Perhaps, especially for the people who currently live in Haiti, particularly the women of all ages who face the constant threats of sexual violence, Haiti has a responsibility to itself, to its unprecedented idealism, to all of us.

Given all these reasons, I find it necessary to maintain a guarded optimism, acknowledging that ideas hold significance and possess the potential to materialize into reality.

[padawan-historian]

It’s January 1st, happy anniversary to the Haitian Revolution 🇭🇹

[daughterofdessalines]

Haiti was intended to be a Colonial state… but the people of Haiti defeated the British, French & Spanish & became the first free Black nation in the Western Hemisphere. We defeated colonialism… & the colonizers have been attacking us ever since.