Acknowledgement

I would like first to thank God for giving me the strength to complete this Students Based
Assessment. I would like to thank my teacher who was not just a source of information
but also inspiration, my mother for her invaluable financial and moral support. For those I
have not mentioned for your contribution, thank you.

AREA OF RESEARCH

Theme: Resistance and Revolt

Topic: The Haitian Revolution

Is it true to say that the Haitian Revolution had a more positive effect on the wider
Caribbean socially, economically and politically than on Haiti itself?

RATIONALE
The French Colony of Haiti was known to be the most profitable sugar producing colony,
producing forty-five percent of the worlds sugar around 1789, the sugar plantations were
owned by whites and sometimes mullatoes but operated by imported African slaves. As

time went on, issues arose about slavery and the slaves wanted freedom because they
were being overworked and ill treated. The coloured were fighting for equal rights while
the slaves were fighting to escape slavery and the harsh inhumane treatment they got
from the whites. The French revolution in 1789 was known to be the trigger behind the
Haitian revolution, because of the effects it left behind on Haiti where the slaves and the
mullatoes felt that the ideas of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity was for them, and the
Haitian Revolution occurred on August 23, 1791 and lasted to 1804. It was caused by
social inequalities between the three main social classes. Certain classes were denied
social and political rights.
The reason for this topic being chosen was because the Haitian Revolution was the first
successful Revolution in the Caribbean and the researcher will be aiming to find out if the
Haitian Revolution had a more positive effect on the wider Caribbean than on Haiti itself
and the researcher will compare and contrast the effects of the Revolution on Haiti and
the wider Caribbean.

THE SOCIAL EFFECTS OF THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION

ON
HAITI AND THE WIDER CARIBBEAN

The issues with the social groups were racial inequalities and the Haitian Revolution
changed the social composition of the island through the expulsion and massacre of the
dominant white class (grand blancs and petit blancs), it increased the racial conflicts
between the blacks (noirs) and mullatoes (gens de colouer). The racial tariff grew
stronger between the two classes due to disagreements, especially with leadership and
control of the island, the mullatoes were favored more by the French government, and
therefore jealousy grew. In the fighting of 1791, 10,000 blacks died; and another 30,000
died before the end of the century in the various wars against the mulattoes and the
British and 60,000 were killed in the campaigns of Leclerc and Rochambeau. The mullato
population also suffered terribly from both the blacks and the whites, many died in
Sonthonaxs terror of 1792-3 and while fighting in Rigauds army against the British
between 1794-5 and after the British withdrew, Toussaint turned against them and
Dessalines massacred many of them when Rigaud and Petion attempted resistance. About
10,000 mullatoes were killed between 1798-1800 and many of them who were in the
army of Rigaud, Petion and Boyer joined Leclercs army and many more were killed.
Creole whites in Haiti had numbered between 30,000 and 35,000 but by the end of
Dessalines rule in 1806 there was none as thousands were killed and many went into
Gran
exile. Whites hadBlanc
evacuated to the north from 1791 by but those had stayed or had
s

G ra were
p h smainly
h o w inpeasants
g th e dand
e c lin e in H a itia n
returned were massacred by Dessalines. The people of Haiti
p o p u la tio n a fte r th e R e v o lu tio n

there was the re-distribution of the large estates to the peasants.

Petit Blancs

The effect socially on the wider Caribbean was that the white exiles from Haiti during
3 5 0 ,0the
00
Y ear 1804

Years

Revolution
went(Gens
to the
islands of Puerto Rico, Cuba and Jamaica. They were gladly
Mulattoes
de colouer)
accepted in Jamaica where they helped to contribute to the white population where the
Y ear 1791

5 0 0 ,0 0 0

Slaves (Noirs)

1 0 0 ,0 0 20 0 0 ,0 0 30 0 0 ,0 0 40 0 0 ,0 0 50 0 0 ,0 0 0

N u m b e r o f p e r so n s

enslaved Africans had outnumbered them 50:1 and they also contributed their culture and
religion. Also after the Haitian Revolution, these gave the slaves of the other Caribbean
islands the knowledge, inspiration about revolting and this therefore gave the influence
for the slaves to revolt to gain freedom from the shackles of slavery. Between 1791 and
1830 many revolts had occurred but not all were as successful as the Haitian Revolution.
As it was known, the Haitian Revolution influenced the 2nd Maroon War of 1795 in
Jamaica, the Barbados Revolt of 1816, and the Demarrara Revolt 1823. There were
several revolt plots in Belize, Puerto Rico, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Social hierarchy of Haiti before the Revolution

THE ECONOMICAL EFFECTS OF THE HAITIAN

REVOLUTION ON
HAITI AND THE WIDER CARIBBEAN
Economically, the Haitian Revolution brought about drastic declines in the levels of
production in Haiti, as before the revolution it was the leading sugar producer in the

Caribbean, numerous efforts were made to restore the industry but independent Haiti
could not do so because most of the ex-slaves refused to go back to the plantations, most
of the good soil, equipment and infrastructure and plantations that Haiti once possessed
had been destroyed by the events of the Revolution and when they did produce they lost
profits because sugar which was their main surplus of trade, began loosing value and
steadily decreased because of other foreign competitors in the market. The United States,
France, Britain and Spain had put an embargo on trade with Haiti which meant Haiti
could not buy and sell via the major markets and the Jamaican planters also wanted to
terminate the commercial links with Haiti because they didnt want to have anything to
do with the black republic because that would encourage their entry and expose the
enslaved of Jamaica to the idea of revolution. Coffee did not collapse to an extent as it
was grown in the peasants small-holdings.

G ra p h s h o w in g th e d e c lin e in s u g a r
o u tp u t in H a iti a fte r 1 7 9 1 to 1 8 1 8

Graph sho w in g decline in coffee

outpu t fro m 1791 - 1818

Million pounds of sugar

2 0 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0
1 5 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0

80,000,000
M illion 60,000,000
68,151,180
p ou n ds o f40,000,000
Coffe e 20,000,000

1 0 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0

1 6 3 ,4 0 5 ,2 2 0

5 0 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0
4 7 ,6 0 0 ,0 0 0

0
Y ear 1791

0
Y ear 1791

1 ,8 9 6 ,4 4 9

Y ear 1804
Y e a rs

20,280,220

Y ear 1818

Y ear 1818
Ye a rs

The effect on the wider Caribbean was that the collapse of the sugar industry in Haiti
boosted production elsewhere this created a void on the world market for tropical goods
that a number of colonies immediately fought to take over; sugar from the British West
Indies took over the market of The United States in 1794, but Cuba cultivated a lot of
sugar, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico produced more sugar and coffee. The exodus of the
white and mulattoes of Haiti also had effects on the islands where they settled as they
gave their knowledge of planting coffee in Jamaica and Jamaica owes its emergence as an
important coffee producer due to these persons and they gave their knowledge of running
a full efficient sugar plantation where they took this to Cuba and Puerto Rico.

THE POLITICAL EFFECTS OF THE HAITIAN

REVOLUTION ON
HAITI AND THE WIDER CARIBBEAN
After the Revolution, the Haitian revolution gave the island of Haiti a chance to elect
their own system and government, which made Haiti the first independent black state, as
stated by Sir Eric Williams in his book, From Columbus to Castro. There was political
instability because everybody wanted to lead the island. So there were conflicts with

leaders and their Generals because there was a sense of dictatorship from the leader
Toussaint, and the two Generals Dessalines and Christophe didnt appreciate it so they
called upon Napoleon Bonaparte, the then ruler of France, who sent General Leclerc to
remove Haitis leader to restore slavery. Dessalines was crowned Emperor Jacques I in
1804 and was assassinated in 1806 by soldiers of Petion. Haiti was divided with King
Henri I in 1811 in the north and a republic in the south by Petion. In 1812 both were at
war but made peace in 1814. This also led to diplomatic isolation, countries did not want
any relationship with Haiti like the monarchies of European countries as they saw it as a
republican and feared it would influence their colonies, and so they isolated them.
The effect politically on the wider Caribbean was that the Haitian Revolution contributed
to the advancement of the anti-slavery movement. The Humanitarians and Abolitionists
used slavery and incidents of the Haitian Revolution and other revolts to back their point
as to why to abolish slavery, which brought about the Act of 1833 which was then passed
by the British government to end slavery in the British Empire as stated by Isaac
Dookhan in A Pre- Emancipation History of the West Indies. This brought about the
apprenticeship period which was a period of transition to ready the slaves for life after
slavery. They believed that slavery was unnecessary and evil.

CONCLUSION
The Haitian Revolution was known to be the event which brought about mass murder,
violence, chaos and rebellion between the varied classes who fought for reasons of
freedom and equality. Haiti made history as they were the first black republic to achieve
independence and be freed from slavery, although the Haitian revolution caused the lost
of lives and many other negative impacts, the positive influences it had on the wider
Caribbean impacted more. If it wasnt for the Haitian Revolution, there might not have
been any diversification of crops as if the exiles did not go to the other islands they would
not have introduced to new crops such coffee. Sugar was the main surplus and with the
news of the success by black people during slavery it gave the slaves the inspiration and
knowledge on how to carry about revolts. If wasnt for the Revolution the abolitionists
would not have the strong arguments of showing how dangerous and reckless it was of

keeping the Africans enslaved and so helped in the abolition of slavery in the British
West Indies.
Therefore the Haitian revolution was a success, which brought out many positives,
despite the fact that Haiti never recovered from the revolution; it was still beneficial to the
wider Caribbean.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Beckles, Hilary, and Shepherd Verene. Freedoms Won: Caribbean Emancipations,

Ethnicities and Nationhood, Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom 2006.

Eric Williams, From Columbus to Castro: The History of the Caribbean 1492-1969,
Carlton Publishing Group, London, 1970.

Isaac Dookhan, A Pre-emancipation History of the West Indies, Carlong Publishers Ltd,
Kingston, Jamaica, 1971.

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Patrick E. Bryan, The Haitian revolution and its effects (Heinemann CXC History),
Heinemann Educational Publishers, Oxford, 1984.

William Claypole & John Robottom, Caribbean Story Book 1 (3rd Edition), Carlong
publishers (Caribbean Limited), Kingston Jamaica.

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