[14] Publications including Time,[15] Popular Mechanics,[16] and The Guardian [17] have included Revolutions on their lists of recommended podcasts. Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas, people and events that have shaped our world. As Leclerc lay dying of yellow fever and heard that Christophe and Dessalines had joined the rebels, he reacted by ordering all of the blacks living in Le Cap to be killed by drowning in the harbour. Everyone in the colony was paying attention to what was going on in France. Just wanted to say I've been listening since around 3/4ths of the end of the History of Rome, and I'm really looking forward to the Haitian Revolution. The revolution was the only slave uprising that led to the founding of a state which was both free from slavery (though not from forced labour)[4] and ruled by non-whites and former captives. [90], Between 1793 and 1798, the expedition to Saint-Domingue had cost the British treasury four million pounds and 100,000 men either dead or permanently disabled from the effects of yellow fever. Now: The French Revolution. Meanwhile, Dessalines led the rebellion until its completion, when the French forces were finally defeated by the end of 1803. [83] On 10 May 1798, Maitland met with Toussaint to agree to an armistice, and on 18 May the British left Port-au-Prince. Haiti's troubles go back more than a century. [114] (Other sources suggest the dogs may have been dogo cubanos sourced in their hundreds from Cuba rather than Jamaica. His most recent work, 2021's Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution, received similar praise, earning its own spot on the New York Times Best Seller's. On 24 July another British squadron intercepted the main French squadron from Cap Franais, which was attempting to break past the blockade and reach France. On 16 November 1803, Dessalines began attacking the French blockhouses outside of Le Cap. Tour dates and links: Sept. 6 Madison -- Mystery to Me Sept. 7 Chicago -- Seminary Co-Op Sept. 8 Portland -- Powell's Books Sept. 9 Seattle -- Elliott Bay Book Company Sept. 12 Boulder -- Boulder Book . Historians consider the Haitian Revolution to be the most successful slave rebellion in the Western world, its impact felt across the Americas. I also love the map. Slavery sustained sugar production under harsh conditions; diseases such as malaria (brought from Africa) and yellow fever caused high mortality, thriving in the tropical Caribbean climate. [173] However, newspapers like the Columbian Centinel took extra steps to support the revolution, comparing it to the American Revolution. of this text. France's transformation was most influential in Europe, and Haiti's influence spanned every location that continued to practice slavery. The average life span of a slave in Haiti was 7 years. [43] One such sign was the action of the French revolutionary government to grant citizenship to wealthy free people of color in May 1791. Mike Duncan is believed to have coined the phrase "the entropy of victory" to describe the recurring division that occurs following a successful revolt, or coup d'tat, among the victors. They still practiced traditions and religions that they brought with them from Africa, and that influenced the revolution as well. The Haitian Revolution brought about two unintended consequences: the creation of a continental America and the virtual end of Napoleonic rule in the Americas.[157]. [165] The activities of the revolutions sparked change across the world. In the north of the country, the French forces were isolated in the two large ports of Cap Franais and Mle-Saint-Nicolas and a few smaller settlements, all supplied by a French naval force based primarily at Cap Franais. Mulatto domination of politics and economics, and urban life after the revolution, created a different kind of two-caste society, as most Haitians were rural subsistence farmers. "Napolon Bonaparte and the Emancipation Issue in Saint-Domingue, 17991803," French Historical Studies 32:4 (Fall 2009), 587618. Listen to this episode from Revolutions on Spotify. This kept their culture more African and separate from other people on the island. More than a translation from Spanish is a corruption. [33], Duncan appears as a panel historian on seasons two and three of the Netflix documentary Roman Empire,[34] and was a historical consultant for The Simpsons' episode I, Carumbus. [105], The Haitians next tried to stop the French at a British-built fort up in the mountains called Crte--Pierrot, a battle that is remembered as a national epic in Haiti. In 1789 the French Revolution began with a cry for Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. This was a special, public punishment dealt out because the whites in Haiti didnt want to extend full rights to the gens de couleur. No, they did not. [56] The same month, a coalition of whites and conservative free blacks and forces under French commissaire nationale Edmond de Saint-Lger put down the Trou Coffy uprising in the south,[50][57][58] after Andr Rigaud, then based near Port-au-Prince, declined to ally with them. In addition to all of these groups, there were the slaves, who were by far the majority of the population. Here is an episode indexfor his fabulous The History of Rome Podcast Episode 000: Introduction The English Civil War The American Revolution The French Revolution The Haitian Revolution [60] Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, who was Pitt's Secretary of State for War, instructed Sir Adam Williamson, the lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Jamaica, to sign an agreement with representatives of the French colonists that promised to restore the Ancien Rgime, slavery and discrimination against mixed-race colonists, a move that drew criticism from abolitionists William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson. This seems like an incredibly volatile situation to begin with. Haiti was therefore forced to take out a loan from French banks, who provided the funds for the large first installment,[115] severely affecting Haiti's ability to prosper. The Haitian Revolution was a revolution ignited from below, by the underrepresented majority of the population. After Haiti gained its independence, the Poles acquired Haitian citizenship for their loyalty and support in overthrowing the French colonialists, and were called "black" by the Haitian constitution. [41] While Og was not fighting against slavery, his treatment was cited by later slave rebels as one of the factors in their decision to rise up in August 1791 and resist treaties with the colonists. The Haitian Revolution. 19:44. [119] On 3 November, the frigate HMS Blanche captured a supply schooner near Cap Franais, the last hope in supplying the French forces. "[13] As he had done with The History of Rome podcast, Duncan ran a series of tours to accompany the podcast which visited historical sites mentioned on the show. To avoid the appearance of slavery, however, Dessalines abolished the ultimate symbol of slavery, the whip. [25] In an interview with the Washington Post Worldview, Duncan claimed his aim for the book was to "pull back two generations [from the time of Caesar] and ask, 'What was it that opened the cracks in the foundation of the Republic? A major effort by Christophe to take Port-au-Prince in mid1812 failed. Raimond used the French Revolution to make this the major colonial issue before the National Assembly. A Senator or the Haitian People? The end of French rule and the abolition of slavery in the former colony was followed by a successful defense of the freedoms the former slaves won and, with the collaboration of already free people of color, their independence from white Europeans. [174] The French media also played an important role in the Haitian Revolution, with contributions that made many French upstarts quite interested in the young, passionate Toussaint's writings of freedom. So they just took the Spanish pronunciation and used it with a French accent. Whats interesting is that they had their freedom, and they were recognized by their fathers, which we dont frequently see in other parts of the new world, and sent by their fathers to be educated in France. The proportion of slaves was not as high in the Spanish portion of the island. On 29 August 1793, Sonthonax proclaimed the abolition of slavery in the northern province. [7], Duncan's interest in Roman history grew from a "general interest in ancient civilizations." A weekly podcasting exploring great political revolutions. [2] Duncan and his wife have two children. In terms of looking at the revolution as a whole, we should consider the case of Haiti because it is important in the broader context of the American and French revolutions. The Declaration was ambiguous as to whether this equality applied to women, slaves, or citizens of the colonies, and thus influenced the desire for freedom and equality in Saint-Domingue. While acknowledging the cross-influences, most contemporary historians[who?] [109], Haiti's first head of state Jean-Jacques Dessalines called Polish people "the White Negroes of Europe", which was then regarded a great honor, as it meant brotherhood between Poles and Haitians. The French colony of Saint-Domingue was the single most lucrative colony in the New World. "Haitian Revolution." Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Brooklyn College professor Jean-Eddy Saint Paul about the country's history. Louverture took on this inconsistency directly in his constitution. Many Poles believed that if they fought for France, Bonaparte would reward them by restoring Polish independence, which had been ended with the Third Partition of Poland in 1795. There was a lot of tension between the grand blancs and the petit blancs who were vying for power and control in the colony. By 1804 the former slaves had won, establishing the first independent state in Latin America and the first nation to be created as a result of a successful slave rebellion. Haitian Revolution 49 languages Part of a series on the History of Haiti Pre-Columbian Haiti (before 1492) Captaincy General of Santo Domingo (1492-1625) Saint-Domingue (1625-1804) Haitian Revolution First Empire of Haiti (1804-1806) 1804 Haiti massacre Siege of Santo Domingo North Haiti (1806-1820) State of Haiti Kingdom of Haiti Theyre about family dynamics and family politics. We look at the life of revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture, confront the atrocities committed against the people of Haiti and the literal price they were forced to pay for their freedom. "[96] Yellow fever caused the most deaths. [21] The Kongolese at 40% were the largest of the African ethnic groups represented amongst the slaves. [94] They were under secret instructions to restore slavery, at least in the formerly Spanish-held part of the island. [47] The long years of oppression by the planters had left many blacks with a hatred of all whites, and the revolt was marked by extreme violence from the very start. They wanted to get out of the exclusive trade agreement that they had with France and sell their sugar to the highest bidder. "French Revolutionary Wars." Roi Espino | In July 1825, the French King, Charles X, sent an armed flotilla of warships to Haiti with the message that the young nation would have to pay France 150 million francs to secure its. [114] Trapped, engaged in a vicious race war, and with much of his army dying of yellow fever, Rochambeau fell to pieces. [106] The French had won, but they had lost 2,000 dead against an opponent whom they held in contempt on racial grounds, believing all blacks to be stupid and cowardly, and furthermore, that it was shortages of food and ammunition that forced the Haitians to retreat, not because of any feats of arms by the French army. Map roughly showing Haiti and The Cordon of the West. In the colony, there were various groups vying for power and influence. Like Jean Franois and Biassou, he initially fought for the Spanish crown. [149] The neighboring revolution brought the slavery question to the forefront of U.S. politics, and though inspiring to the enslaved themselves[150] the resulting intensification of racial divides and sectional politics ended the idealism of the Revolutionary period. [106] Even Rochambeau, who hated all blacks was forced to admit in a report: "Their retreatthis miraculous retreat from our trapwas an incredible feat of arms". Revolutions Podcast by Mike Duncan - S4: Haitian Revolution - Episode 1 Khwarezmid 3.87K subscribers Subscribe 19K views 4 years ago Link (s) to the episode (s):. [104] Dessalines never received the letter as he had already taken to the field, evaded a French column sent to capture him and stormed Logne. And then, with the beginning of the revolution, the grand blancs started seeking local autonomy. 21 Revolutions Podcast - Glasgow Women's Library. Most returned to France as soon as possible, hoping to avoid the dreaded yellow fever, which regularly swept the colony. Now: The Russian Revolution Next: ??? A small comment about the name of the colony. Since the resistance and the murderous disease environment made it impossible for Napoleon to regain control over Haiti, he gave up hope of rebuilding a French New World empire. [3][4], Before starting the History of Rome, he worked as a fishmonger; he was in the fish trade most of the time he was recording the podcast. [74] Whyte took Port-au-Prince, but Sonthonax and the French forces were allowed to leave in exchange for not burning the sugar-loaded ships. In the summer of 1803, when war broke out between the United Kingdom and the French Consulate, Saint-Domingue had been almost completely overrun by Haitian forces under the command of Jean-Jacques Dessalines. Toussaint retook the fortress at Mirebalais. [63] Rigaud failed in attempt to retake Port-au-Prince, but on Christmas Day 1794, he stormed and retook Tiburon in a surprise attack. Boyer with 20,000 troops marched into Cap-Hatien, the northern capital, shortly afterward to establish his power over all of Haiti. Everyonequite rightlylived in terror of everyone else. [19][pageneeded]. Essentially, the owners were OK with working their slaves to death, or punishing them with death, and buying more slaves. However, Toussaint sent a message to Balcarres, warning him that if he persisted, to remember that Jamaica was not far from St Domingue, and could be invaded. 17911804 slave revolt in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, Haitian resistance and scorched-earth tactics, Rebellion against reimposition of slavery, Dessalines and Ption join Haitian forces, Influence on other abolitionist and post-colonial movements, Relationship between the French and Haitian Revolutions. The revolution has revolved. [65] In the meantime, a Spanish force under Captain-General Joaqun Garca y Moreno had marched into the Northern Province. Saint-Domingue's Northern province was the center of shipping and trading, and had the largest population of grands blancs. Before his arrival, there were only a few killings, despite his orders. Theyre about war and the mechanisms of war. The Haitian State owned up to 90% of the land and the other 10% was leased in 5-year intervals. Education Higher Education K-12 Society & Culture History Update frequency: every 9 days Average audio length: 33 minutes English United States 370 episodes since Sept. 15, 2013 serial IN THIS PODCAST [13] Many freedmen were also artisans and overseers, or domestic servants in the plantation houses. Cities and commercial centers were moved to the interior of the country, while less important ones were kept to the coast, so they could be burnt down completely to discourage the French; many commentators believe that this over militarization contributed to many of Haiti's future problems. [14], The colony's white population numbered 40,000; mulattoes and free blacks, 28,000; and black slaves, an estimated 452,000. As an educated class used to the French political system, they became the elite of Haitian society after the war's end. You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post. [19] Enslaved Africans in this region lived in large groups of workers in relative isolation, separated from the rest of the colony by the high mountain range known as the Massif du Nord. Except they say the Zapatistas "surrendered" in the end when, at least according to the podcast, they got 90% of their economic demands satisfied, plus official military positions - not jails or ropes. Those who refused were slaughtered. Hey Mike. All the best. Girard, Philippe. Apart from granting rights to free people of color, the Assembly dispatched 6,000 French soldiers to the island. I listen anytime Im on a long drive in Texas. David P. Geggus. [119] Dessalines thanked them all for their kindness and belief in racial equality, but then he said that the French had treated him as less than human when he was a slave, and so to avenge his mistreatment, he promptly had the 100 whites all hanged. By August 1793, there were only 3,500 French soldiers on the island. [14] The livelihood of 1 million of the approximately 25 million people who lived in France in 1789 depended directly upon the agricultural imports from Saint-Domingue, and several million indirectly depended upon trade from the colony to maintain their standard of living. [27][28][pageneeded] Louverture wrote a constitution for a new society in Saint-Domingue that abolished slavery. The slave population declined at an annual rate of two to five percent, due to overwork, inadequate food and shelter, insufficient clothing and medical care, and an imbalance between the sexes, with more men than women. Haiti struggled to recover economically from the war. The petit blancs were eager to protect their position in the color-based class system. "Impact of the French and Haitian Revolutions." The Mexican Revolution - Every 5 Days. The most powerful group was the grand blancs, or the Big Whites. These were the plantation owners and the elite. However, this isolation allowed freed slaves to find profit in trade with Jamaica, and they gained power and wealth here. Barred from using the whip, many instead turned to lianes, which were thick vines abundant throughout the island, to persuade the laborers to keep working. "Causes of the Haitian Revolution." [108] As hopeful as the Haitians, many Poles were seeking union amongst themselves to win back their freedom and independence by organizing an uprising. [107] Under the terms of surrender, Leclerc gave his solemn word that slavery would not be restored in Saint-Domingue, that blacks could be officers in the French Army, and that the Haitian Army would be allowed to integrate into the French Army. It had little influence over life there. A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4. Another ship of the line was trapped against the coast and captured after coming under fire from Haitian shore batteries. [102] When Christophe refused, the French assaulted Le Cap and the Haitians set the city afire rather than surrender it. [20], The majority of the slaves were Yoruba from what is now modern Nigeria, Fon from what is now Benin, and Kongo from the Kingdom of Kongo in what is now modern northern Angola and the western Congo. Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Haitian Revolution of 1791-1804. [19], The larger groups of runaway slaves who lived in the hillside woods away from white control often conducted violent raids on the island's sugar and coffee plantations. Accessed 26 March 2015. [19] In addition to these interregional tensions, there were conflicts between proponents of independence, those loyal to France, and allies of Britain and Spainwho coveted control of the valuable colony. Posted by: What was the spark that finally lit the fire? Historical themes, events and key individuals from Akhenaten to Xenophon. In a Wall Street Journal article Johnson states: "The stories have a lot of similarities. The podcast is divided into seasons, with each season focusing on a particular revolution. [66], To prevent military disaster, and secure the colony for republican France as opposed to Britain, Spain, and French royalists, separately or in combination, the French commissioners Sonthonax and tienne Polverel offered freedom to the slaves who would agree to fight alongside them. Two days later an independently sailing French frigate was chased down and captured in the same waters. Posted by: John E. Baur honors Haiti as home of the most influential revolution in history.[166]. Napoleon reversed the French abolition of slavery in law, constitution, and practice, which had occurred between 1793 and 1801, and reinstated slavery in the French colonies in 18011803which lasted until 1848. [81], General Ralph Abercromby, the commander of the forces committed to the "great push", hesitated over which island to attack when he arrived in Barbados on 17 March 1796. I wasn't sure if I was going to be as interested in this one, but you've set the stage so well that I'm already getting sucked in. D | [114], Dessalines matched Rochambeau in his vicious cruelty. The Haitian Revolution. [133], The course of the massacre showed an almost identical pattern in every city he visited.

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