The French Revolution undoubtedly inspired the Haitian Revolution. The French Revolution embraced the notions of liberty, equality, and brotherhood, which inspired the independence movement among the white minority settlers, as well as a highly fragmented socio-economic mix of free blacks. Even more importantly, the French Revolution was also inspired by the political philosophy of the Enlightenment. The French revolutionaries admired the British political system that promoted democracy, provided more freedom to the citizens, and emphasized on the separation of powers among various state organs. Nevertheless, the French society was under a monarchy that held too much power. Decisions were mainly made by the king’s decree, and a lot of things were prohibited (Uptown Flava, 2012). For instance, publications and writings were highly censored, and anyone who criticized the king or the family would be arrested and most likely executed. The ordinary citizens in France rebelled against the authoritarian rule and wanted to be free citizens, especially just like the British. The Haitian Revolution was inspired by the French struggle, succeeded because the white planters were adamant about negotiating with the rebel leaders, and, lastly, influenced other movements around the globe to agitate for freedom and independence.
In relation to the Haitian Revolution, the slaves, as well as the free blacks and mulattoes had objectives similar to those of the French revolutionaries. They wanted liberty and to be given equal rights of participating in political affairs, owning property, and doing anything they wanted just like the colonists ( The Other Revolution, n.d) . Some of the free blacks had been sent by the colonial governor to participate in the American War of Independence against the British, and had consequently embraced anti-colonial sentiments. The Americans wanted freedom and liberty, while in France, the revolution was gaining momentum; the ordinary people wanted freedom. The Haitians likely thought the call for independence and freedom was a global wave. They believed that everyone was born equal, and therefore, they did not see themselves as very different from the French to be treated in such an inhumane manner.
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The five most prominent interest groups in the Haitian Revolution were the white planters, who owned the slaves and the plantations. Secondly, there was a group known as the petit blancs , who were shopkeepers, artisans, and teachers. Some individuals in this group also owned slaves. Therefore, the petit blancs and the planters formed the white population in the colony, and together, they made up approximately 40,000 of the colony’s residents ( The Other Revolution, n.d) . These two groups supported the institution of slavery and were strongly opposed to the idea of equal rights among all the residents of the colony. Additionally, these two groups wanted the colony to be independent of France, mostly for their interests (Knight, 2005). The three remaining groups comprised of people of African descent, and they included: those who were free, the slaves, and those who had run away.
The free people were half black people and half mulattos. It is estimated that the population of black people and mulattos was about 30,000 in 1789 and that most of the mulattos were wealthier than the petit blancs. The slave population, or rather, the people who were forced to work on the plantations, were close to 500,000 ( The Other Revolution, n.d) . The slaves who had run away were often called maroons and had retreated deep into the mountains where they lived off subsistence farming. The main objective of these three groups was to agitate for equality and freedom (Knight, 2005). The white planters often mistreated the slaves, especially by using whips and giving them very few days to rest. Secondly, although some black people were free, they did not enjoy equal rights as the white planters or the petit blancs . The slaves wanted to be free and independent while the whites were not committed in giving in to the demands of the slaves and the free black people.
One main reason the Haitian revolution succeeded was because the white planters thought the rebellion would die out just like the previous ones had failed. The article History of Haiti (1492-1805) states, “ Although a few might have foreseen the dangers ahead, most generally assumed that slavery was as inviolable as it was enduring. It had lasted over two hundred years. Slave rebellions had occurred in the past, and marronage had been a constant plague. But the revolts were always isolated affairs, and maroon bands were invariably defeated along with their leaders. For the planters, there was no reason to believe that slave activity was any different from what it had been in the past. They would soon learn, but only by the raging flames that within hours reduced their magnificent plantations to ashes, how wrong they were.” It was this assumption that cost the white planters dearly. Many of them refused to negotiate with the rebel leaders because they thought they would soon be crushed and forced back to the plantations.
The impact the Haitian revolution had across the globe was immense. Most of the countries in the Americas, such as Argentina, Columbia, and Venezuela would gain independence from the Spanish after the Haitian Revolution. Perhaps most importantly, other slaves across the world, especially in the United States, got enough inspiration to push for the abolition of slavery, and agitation for freedom ( Knight, 2005) . They would later get freedom. The inspiration they got was from the thought of Haiti, a country of slaves, being truly independent, and having democratic and progressive ideals. Although they had gone through a lot of struggle, their efforts had borne fruits.
References
History of Haiti (1492-1805). Retrieved from https://library.brown.edu/haitihistory/4.html
Knight, F. W. (2005). The Haitian revolution and the notion of human rights. Journal of the Historical Society , 5 (3), 391-416.
The Other Revolution: Haiti, 1789-1804. Retrieved from https://www.brown.edu/Facilities/John_Carter_Brown_Library/exhibitions/haitian/index.html
Uptown Flava. (2012). PBS Egalite for All: Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution (Video). Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=19&v=IOGVgQYX6SU&feature=emb_logo
