The French colonies consisting of the western thirds of Hispaniola was richest colony in the eighteenth century West Indies. However in August 1791, this colonial regimen came under threat after a major slave rebellion. This rebellion continued for thirteen years and was later known as the Haitian revolution. Through this revolution the slaves demanded their freedom and equality. Plantations were burnt, armies were invaded and thousands of residents were forced to flee from the island. Some of these landed on the shores of North America as refugees in 1793. Their stories and experiences had a significant impact on the United States. The arrival of refugees put a face to the news of revolution that Americans have been hearing about since long time. Now, Americans were able to see the colonists and hear their first-hand experiences about the revolution in Haiti. Sightings of these exiles were common and they often exchanged information with Americans leading to discussions about the revolution and emancipation at various places in America.
The exiles from the Saint Domingue perfectly reflected the outcome of a successful slave revolution and their presence in the American cities led to the debate on ending slavery. Thomas Jefferson stated that, “I become daily more and more convinced that all the West Indies islands will remain in the hands of the people of color, and a total expulsion of the whites sooner or later will take place. It is high time we should foresee the bloody scenes which our children certainly, and possibly ourselves have to wade through, and try to avert them.” Many other Americans thought alike and as the number of refugees continued to increase, their stories continued to accelerate the fear of a slave uprising in America. The Haitian revolution imparted fear in the minds of White people. It proved the conviction that a successful slave revolution can lead to indiscriminate massacre of the white population. Whites were shaken to their core by the revolution and they believed that the Blacks can turn into savages and ferocious beasts as soon as they get a chance. Although some Whites plantation owners gave higher preference to greed over fear and continued to import slaves for economic benefits.
However, they were also afraid of blacks who had knowledge about the Haitian revolution or had any kind of abolitionist views about liberty. Their fear continued to grow as the news about the successful Haitian revolution continued to spread. The fear of having another revolution, similar to the one in Haiti, even strengthened the political argument for outlawing American slave trade in 1808. Haitian revolution led the Southern states to stop African slave trade after 1791. Additionally, South Carolina forbade Negroes from West Indies and Africa in 1792. North Carolina also stopped slave trade in 1794. Many other states followed similar path and in 1803, Federal government declared fortification of any ship carrying Negros. Finally, the slave trade was completely abolished by congress in 1807. The leaders and supporters of these laws used Haitian revolution as an example to support their points. The Haitian revolution and other slave rebellions also led to the laws restricting manumission and supporting deportation of blacks to some distant colonies.
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The Haitian revolution gave an important message to Whites to give up their self-delusive attitude and find real solution to prevent a slave revolution in future.“No Christian nation had abolished negro slavery, until Haiti spoke. The slave trade was sanctioned by all Christian nations of the world and our land of liberty and light included. Until she spoke, the church was silent and the pulpit was dumb,” these were the words said by Frederick Douglass in his speech at Chicago’s World Fair on January 2nd, 1893. Douglas was a prominent black spokesperson, statesman of the New World and was also a born slave. He believed that the blacks own their freedom to the Haitian revolution. This was because revolution at Haiti was first successful emancipation war that demonstrated the power and capabilities inherited by every Black man to the Whites. At Haiti, common slaves fought together to win their freedom from the Napoleon’s trained troops. The winners of the Haitian revolution were the people who were perceived to be most abject, helpless and degraded in entire human race. Blacks perceived them as people who chose the path of vengeance and slaughter in order to save the honor of human species. The black leaders like James Forten were impressed by the message that Haitian revolution gave to the world. This message was that the blacks would not always live in detention rather they would become a great nation. By 1820s, blacks in various Northern cities started to celebrate anniversary of the Haitian independence, the revolution was a symbol of slavery. Another interesting fact of the revolution in Haiti was that the slaves over their fought against the entire institution of slavery and not just for individual freedom.
The revolution challenged the argument that Africans were created by god to be inferior and proved that the blacks were equally capable as any other person on earth. This imparted confidence in the minds of self-doubting blacks who had lived a degraded and honor less life for generations. Their victory showed the world that the white power was invincible. The slaves living in the era of revolution were also well aware of their political rights. On rare occasions, they even drafted petitions to be released from unmerited and unjustifiable bondage. Sometimes these petitions were signed by freed black men. A few slaves were able to win their freedom suits, special legislative privileges including right to a jury trial and even equal civil rights in the courts in Massachusetts and Jamaica. The example set forward by Saint Domingue reflected a possibility of achieving status of citizenship, this elevated hopes of slaves and made them to look for the ways to achieve equal rights and freedom. Another interesting observation of the revolution in Saint Domingue was that the freed black men who initially supported the slave system; turned against the White colonist when they tried to deprive these freed blacks from their property and elemental rights. The Gens de couleur libres, which included blacks and mulattoes, fought to suppress the slave revolt in order to win full legal equality with Whites. After revolution in Saint Domingue, freedmen in the United States started to demand for equal rights as whites and they wanted the society to be classified on basis of wealth rather than on race.
The freedman’s population grew enormously in late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. When the Barbadian Assembly and council debated a bill to limit property rights of freedmen in 1803, a member of the council strongly suggested that the freed coloreds’ property rights and slave holding rights were essential for preventing a revolt similar to that in Haiti. He stated providing the property rights to freed blacks, will keep them and Whites on the same side in an event of revolt and thus will preserve public security. Freedman also proved this statement to be correct by exposing conspiracies like Vesey’s plot in 1822 or by helping to suppress an insurrection in Louisiana in 1811 and Barbados in 1816. Freed blacks in upper south were far too wise to challenge the slave system. At few places, they even joined the white planters and resisted emancipation. The age of revolution was age of legal and political rights. Freedmen living in such a society were well aware of their political rights. In 1780, seven freed black men petitioned the Massachusetts council to exempt them tax payment because they don’t have right to vote. This demand for equality reflected their desire to attain equal status in the society. Thus, the Haitian revolution conveyed different message to the Whites, slaves and freedmen. On one hand, where it imparted fear in the minds of whites; on the other hand it gave hope to Blacks. The creation of this independent nation reflected black power and capability and it contraindicated the stereotype of black inferiority. It made slaves in America to ask for their freedom and made freed Blacks to demand for equal rights as Whites. These events were crucial because they started a ripple that eventually lead to civil war in the United States.
Haiti represented a unique scenario for the both Whites and Blacks living in America. It was a successful revolution that resulted in a complete transformation in the social, political, intellectual, and economic life of the colony. Socially, it made every slave in Haiti free and caused death of the entire institution of slavery. After it the slaves became independent, equal and free citizens of the colony. In Haiti, all citizens were legally equal, regardless of color, race, or condition. Politically, it made Haiti the first independent non-European state to become free from European universal empire. This undoubtedly imparted fear in the minds of Whites who have lived their entire life in the delusion of superior race. It also made Whites doubt their own political approach. Intellectually, these free slaves coined a new name for themselves- Haitians They defined all Haitians as blacks, This was a huge psychological blow to the racist Whites, who had so far seen the world ruled only by people belonging to their race. Economically, the Haitians transformed their conventional tropical plantation agriculture to small-scale, marginal self-sufficient producers. Thus, Haitian revolution reflected the impact that a successful slave revolution can have at social, political, intellectual and economic level. This proved the capability of blacks to the entire world and inspired blacks all across America to fight for their freedom. The Haitian revolution was the proof that the Negroes had the ability to make very good soldiers. It disapproved the popular notion in which blacks were considered either cowards or barbarians lacking thinking capabilities. Free blacks like Toussaint Louverture played an important role in the revolution and showed the world that Blacks are capable of defeating Napoleon and British armies.
During late 1790s, Americans praised and supported Toussaint with their army and supplies, in order to gain his help against French. This was the basis of African-American recruitment in the military made during the civil war by Unitarian minister, John Weiss. During the first third of nineteenth century, Haiti was seen as a single most effective example of mass emancipation by everyone. Abolitionists who have been in favour of emancipation; however, tried to avoid making a direct reference to Haiti in order to avoid racial tensions. They instead warned the occurrence of racial war, unless the slaves were peacefully emancipated and converted into free labourers. Abolitionists believed that no amount of benefit could justify a system in which one human being treats other human has a domesticated animal or property or tool. Thus, abolitionists indirectly used Haiti’s example to support their demand for ending slavery in the United States. The effects of the Haitian Revolution on slave revolts in the United States were seen at many places. In 1793, Portsmouth, Virginia had an influx of negroes who were disputing among themselves and were hence declared a public threat. They were later on suppressed when one white resident of Richmond reported that these Negroes were planning to repeat the Haitian uprising.
Three years later, fires which broke out in Charleston were found to be inspired by Haiti. In 1798, a conspiracy was uncovered showing that Haitian Negroes planned to burn down Charleston city. American negroes both free and slave were well aware of the Haitian revolution and drew inspiration from it. One of the largest American slave uprisings to be inspired by Haiti was that of Gabriel Prosser in 1800. Gabriel was a Negro living in Henrico County, Virginia, who knew every detail of Haitian revolution and planned his own revolt based on similar model. However, two slaves revealed his plans and the uprising failed. Denmark Vesey, a free black a native of the Virgin Islands, was another remarkable rebel. In South Carolina, he joined the African methodist church and attended religious classes. He was a literate and used his skill to educate negroes about the Missouri compromise and what it meant to be held as a slave against the law. In 1821-1822, Vesey tried to spread the message of freedom among illiterate negroes by reading Haitian newspapers to them. He even wrote a letter to President Boyer of Haiti asking for his help to cause a slave uprising in America. He and his followers hoped to escape to Haiti, if their uprising failed. They rebelled in June, 1822, but failed and were captured. Vesey was later on convicted and hanged. Later in 1831, Nat Turner in Southampton, Virginia, led another revolt after being motivated by Haiti. Turner was a preacher who travelled a lot. During his travels he frequently heard stories from West Indian refugees about L’Ouverture and Dessalines, which inspired him to revolt. It was interesting to see that the repeaters of Haitian revolution were not only blacks. John Brown admitted that he had always kept himself updated about Touissiant and other phases of the wars in Haiti. Brown was equally aware about revolt by Turner and Vesey.
In one of his most famous discourses during the Civil War, Brown’s colleague, Wendell Phillips, honored Toussaint Louverture by mentioning him as the prime symbol of Negro courage, intelligence, ability, and accomplishment. By doing so, Phillips attempted to demonstrate negroes capability to fluoish in diverse society through the career of this greatest Haitian. All these Haiti inspired revolts and abolitionist view, created a turbulence in the society and left emancipation as the only choice. Thus, leading the American society towards the civil war. Thus, politically, militarily, socially, intellectually, and economically for three generations the events of St. Domingue, a slave colony that metamorphosed into the nation of Haiti, influenced the American society. It imparted different messages for both Blacks and White. Blacks saw it as a source of inspiration and tried to pave their way to freedom based on Haitian model. On the other hand, it imparted fear in the minds of Whites and forced them to step out of their delusive view on race superiority and find permanent solution to prevent similar slave revolutions. The stories of immigrants that landed on shores of America, aided in abolishment of slave trade in America and sparked the conversation on emancipation of slavery in every corner. Haiti perfectly demonstrated Blacks ability to flourish at social, political, intellectual and economic levels. Thereby, it made Blacks free from the label of “inferior race” and made them feel proud of themselves. Haiti inspired many Blacks like Vesey and Turner to cause a slave uprising in America.
Even abolitionists like John Brown and Wendell Phillips were well aware about the Haitian revolution and honoured the Haitian leader, Toussaint Louverture, for his contribution to Negroes. In haiti the blacks like Toussaint Louverture demonstrated their military and leadership skills by defeating Napoleon and British armies. This was the basis of African-American recruitment in the military made during the civil war by John Weiss. Thus, it can be concluded that the Haitian revolution played a huge role in leading America towards Civil War which eventually led to emancipation of four million slaves.
