In the end, Toussaint essentially restored control of Saint-Domingue to France. He died months later in prison at Fort-de-Joux in the Jura Mountains. Unlike his previous podcast, Revolutions is not the history of one society or polity but rather a thematic series focusing on particular revolutions in the history of the modern world. For most of the conflict, the British and Spanish supplied the rebels with food, ammunition, arms, medicine, naval support, and military advisors. A small comment about the name of the colony. The largest and most encompassing of those civilizations to Duncan was always the Romans. So around 1802, what was a revolution against slavery, which occurred on the island, turned into a war of independence and led to the independence of Haiti from France in January 1804 officially . Two centuries ago, Haitians revolted against their French masters and declared independence. As a result of temporary trade agreements between Christophe, the United States, and British colonies, Christophe was able to rebuild the northern region. Around that time, colonial legislations, concerned with this growing and strengthening population, passed discriminatory laws that required these freedmen to wear distinctive clothing and limited where they could live. Revolutions (2013-2022) is the second history podcast by Mike Duncan. [128][135][131], An independent government was created in Haiti, but the country's society remained deeply affected by patterns established under French colonial rule. Haiti rapidly transformed from a society comprised of small farms with everyone working side by side to one in which each plantation essentially formed its own industry. The French colony of Saint-Domingue was the single most lucrative colony in the New World. It was the area of greatest economic importance, especially as most of the colony's trade went through these ports. He said he did not seek independence from France, and urged the surviving whites, including the former slave masters, to stay and work with him in rebuilding Saint-Domingue. An interactive 17-map progression and timeline project tracing power and shifting alliances across geography and time from precolonial kingdoms through the Revolution and up to Haiti's current borders with the Dominican Republic. This relatively privileged class was chiefly born in the Americas, while the under-class born in Africa labored hard, and often under abusive and brutal conditions. These laws also barred them from occupying many public offices. If someone misbehavedran away and got caughtthey were usually put to death in a fairly extreme fashion. The colony was not only the most profitable possession of the French colonial empire, but it was the wealthiest and most prosperous colony in the Caribbean. He sent a general, who tricked Toussaint LOuverture, arrested him, and shipped him off to France where he eventually died in prison, but the revolution did not end. Saint-Domingue was a society seething with hatred, with white colonists and black slaves frequently coming into violent conflict. Listen to this episode from Revolutions on Spotify. M. Degros, Cration des postes diplomatiques et consulaires, Revue d'histoire diplomatique, 1986; in French, J-F. Brire, Hati et la France, 18041848: le rve bris, Paris, Karthala 2008; in French, Newman, Simon P. "American Political Culture and the French and Haitian Revolutions: Nathaniel Cutting and the Jeffersonian Republicans.". Taking no prisoners, Rigaud's predominantly mulatto forces put blacks and whites to the sword. [71] During the course of 1794, most of the British forces were killed by yellow fever, the dreaded "black vomit" as the British called it. "The Force of Example". [168] One thing is certain: Haiti became an independent country on 1 January 1804, when the council of generals chose Jean-Jacques Dessalines to assume the office of governor-general. [56] Louverture, the ablest of the Haitian generals, had joined the Spanish, accepting an officer's commission in the Spanish Army and being made a knight in the Order of St. The exiles causing the most alarm were the African slaves who came with their refugee owners. After a few decades of fighting, in 1697 the Spanish ceded the western part of the island to the French, who named their colony Saint-Domingue. [106] Just what motivated Toussaint to give up the fight has been the subject of much debate with most probable explanation being that he was just tired after 11 years of war. "The 1802 Saint-Domingue yellow fever epidemic and the Louisiana Purchase". [35] Some slaves were of a creole elite class of urban slaves and domestics, who worked as cooks, personal servants and artisans around the plantation house. Sylvia Musto, "Portraiture, Revolutionary Identity and Subjugation: Anne-Louis Girodet's Citizen Belley". Thanks, and keep up the amazing work! 03 April 2017 at 06:45 AM. Then there were the petit blancs, or the Little Whites. These were tradespeople: shopkeepers, merchants, overseers, the former indentured servants who had gotten their freedom and now worked in smaller aspects of the economy. Blackburn, "Haiti's Slavery in the Age of the Democratic Revolution". [131][132] The massacrewhich took place in the entire territory of Haitiwas carried out from early February 1804 until 22 April 1804. Roi Espino | While the exiles found themselves in a peaceful situation in the United Statessafe from the violence raging in both France and Haititheir presence complicated the already precarious diplomatic relations among Britain, France, and the U.S. [115], Women and children were generally killed last. During the course of The History of Rome, Duncan married and made a special The History of Rome episode on Roman wedding customs in celebration. You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post. Both of these racially charged symbols reveal the desire to undermine the colony's attempts at independent legitimacy, as citizens of the colonies were not able to access the elite class of French Revolutionaries because of their race. He warned, "the Africans only want a chief, sufficiently courageous, to lead them on to vengeance and slaughter". John | The grands blancs in Saint-Domingue, unhappy with Sonthonax, arranged with Britain to declare British sovereignty over the colony, believing that the British would maintain slavery. Now: The Russian Revolution Next: ??? Then sugar was introduced. [43] One such sign was the action of the French revolutionary government to grant citizenship to wealthy free people of color in May 1791. There was a lot of tension between the grand blancs and the petit blancs who were vying for power and control in the colony. No one would eat fish from the bay for months afterward, as no one wished to eat the fish that had eaten human flesh. [47] Countries throughout Europe, as well as the United States, were shocked by the decision, but the Assembly was determined to stop the revolt. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. And all of these groups were against the slaves. Season 1 - The Work Revolution. 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. 15 Minute History is a history podcast designed for historians, enthusiasts, and newbies alike. [105] While Toussaint took to the field, he left Dessalines in command of Crte--Pierrot, who from his fastness could see three French columns converging on the fort. He sent a letter to slaves all over the island introducing himself. [105] General Boudet himself was wounded and as the French dead and wounded started to pile up in the ditch, the French retreated. 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. The podcast is divided into seasons, with each season focusing on a particular revolution. Popkin, Jeremy D. 'You Are All Free: The Haitian Revolution and the Abolition of Slavery. [77], At this point, Pitt decided to launch what he called "the great push" to conquer Saint-Domingue and the rest of the French West Indies, sending out the largest expedition Britain had yet mounted in its history, a force of about 30,000 men to be carried in 200 ships. Many of the free people of color, by contrast, were raised in French culture, had certain rights within colonial society, and generally spoke French and practiced Catholicism (with syncretic absorption of African religions. [106], On 25 April 1802, the situation suddenly changed when Christophe defected, along with much of the Haitian Army, to the French. Posted by: A high rate of mortality among them meant that planters continually had to import new slaves. Once the French got control of Haiti [St-Domingue], what was life like in the colony? By this point, Perry observed that both sides were "a little mad" as the pressures of the war and yellow fever had taken their toil, and both the French and the Haitians fought with a reckless courage, seeing death in battle as preferable to a slow death by yellow fever or being tortured to death by the enemy. The largest and busiest port was Le Cap, the former capital of Saint-Domingue. Only the less robustthe newly arrived Africans, women in their seventh or eighth month of pregnancy, or nursing infants, and childrengot the lighter jobs. Everyone else was working the land from five a.m. until well after dark, with working hours even longer during harvest times. Next: The Haitian Revolution. In 1758, the planters began passing legislation restricting the rights of other groups of people until a rigid caste system was defined. [122] His secretary Boisrond-Tonnerre stated, "For our declaration of independence, we should have the skin of a white man for parchment, his skull for an inkwell, his blood for ink, and a bayonet for a pen! from the French population. The Haitian Revolution (French: rvolution hatienne French pronunciation:[evlysj a.i.sjn]; Haitian Creole: revolisyon ayisyen) was a successful insurrection by self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. However, the Poles were told that there was a revolt of prisoners in Saint-Domingue. By 1801, hed actually conquered Santo Domingo, which was the Spanish part of the island and had made serious inroads into the French part of the island. Peguero, Valentina. But within weeks, the number of slaves who joined the revolt in the north reached 100,000. Show [REDACTED] History, Ep Centuries of Suffering: The Haitian Revolution Aftermath - Apr 27, 2023 PBS. [119] One of Rochambeau's ships was almost wrecked while leaving the harbour, but was saved by a British lieutenant acting alone, who not only rescued the 900 people on board, but also refloated the ship. 03 April 2017 at 10:09 AM. Some were sent to France for education and training, and some joined the French military. [176] Yet Sonthonax was one of the few contenders who truly pushed for the independence of the African slaves and became a major factor in Toussaint's decision of declaring independence from France. Before his arrival, there were only a few killings, despite his orders. When slaves left the plantations or disobeyed their masters, they were subject to whipping or to more extreme torture such as castration or burning, the punishment being both a personal lesson and a warning for other slaves. [107] However, the surrender of Christophe, Toussaint, and Dessalines did not mean the end of Haitian resistance. After the British had invaded Saint-Domingue, Louverture decided to fight for the French if they would agree to free all the slaves. The word revolution means coming full circle, so it seems like the best way to begin the end. Blackburn, Robin. Available on. On 24 October 2017, Duncan published The Storm Before The Storm, a non-fiction work which explores Rome between 14678 BC, the period predating the end of the Roman Republic. On January 1, 1804, Haiti declared its independence, and in the proclamation, they used the expression Live free or die, which they had taken from the American revolution. [169], The role of women in the Haitian Revolution was for a long time given little attention by historians, but has in recent years garnered significant attention.[170][171][172]. 03 April 2017 at 04:01 AM, love the map, always have one open anyways when listening, Posted by: Appendix 1- Coming Full Circle. As you mentioned at the beginning of the episode, the Haitian revolution is considered the only successful slave revolt in modern times, so we know that the slaves were able to gain the upper hand. Seasons began with one or two episodes dedicated to the pre-history of the revolution and its causes, sometimes highlighting when and how the revolution could have been avoided. "[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. If caught, these runaway slaves would be severely and violently punished. [36], Benjamin Wittes directly modelled the introduction to the Lawfare Podcast on The History of Rome. [21] The Kongolese at 40% were the largest of the African ethnic groups represented amongst the slaves. 19:44. Over seven years and more than 300 episodes of Duncan's gripping and well-researched Revolutions podcast, he has seen off many crowned heads and erstwhile revolutionary leaders. [24] Shortly afterwards, the ferocious Dessalines rode into Le Cap to submit to France and was rewarded by being made the governor of Saint-Marc, a place that Dessalines ruled with his customary cruelty. White planters saw it as an opportunity to gain independence from France, which would allow them to take control of the island and create trade regulations that would further their own wealth and power. Although he lasted from 1804 to 1806, several changes began taking place in Haiti. The conflict up to this point was between factions of whites, and between whites and free blacks. [59], Meanwhile, in 1793, France declared war on Great Britain. [167][failed verification] Historians debate whether the victorious Haitians were "intrinsically [a] revolutionary force". [31] This was almost half the total slave population in the Caribbean, estimated at one million that year. Others fled to towns, to blend in with urban slaves and freed blacks who often migrated to those areas for work. [71], The main British force for the conquest of Saint-Domingue under General Charles Grey, nicknamed "No-flint Grey", and Admiral Sir John Jervis set sail from Portsmouth on 26 November 1793, which was in defiance of the well-known rule that the only time that one could campaign in the West Indies was from September to November, when the mosquitoes that carried malaria and yellow fever were scarce. And forbidding burial, he left stacks of corpses rotting in the sun to strike terror into the French detachments as they toiled behind his flying columns". In response, Napoleon Bonaparte dispatched a large expeditionary force of French soldiers and warships to the island, led by Bonaparte's brother-in-law Charles Leclerc, to restore French rule. 100 plantations were established between 1700 and 1704. Starting in the 1730s, French engineers constructed complex irrigation systems to increase sugarcane production. Baur, John. 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. Most of the rebel leaders professed to be fighting for the king of France, who they believed had issued a decree freeing the slaves, which had been suppressed by the colonial governor. Slave quarters were built on the lowest part of the property where there was no wind or ventilation, and there was excessive heat and it was very crowded. [126] Likewise, the working day was shortened by a third. In 1791 an uprising began in the French colonial territory of St Domingue. Also Place Hotel de Ville. This is an episode index for Mike Duncan's fabulous Revolutions Podcast. Louverture was very intelligent, organized and articulate. [144] Mexican nationalists, Francisco Javier Mina and Jos Joaqun de Herrera took asylum in Les Cayes and were welcomed by Petion during Mexico's War of Independence. "The Haitian revolution and the limit of freedom: defining citizenship in the revolutionary era". 4.0 Another Revolutions Podcast Update | White women were "often raped or pushed into forced marriages under threat of death". Napoleon then turned his attention towards France's European enemies such as Great Britain and Prussia. Its important to discuss Haiti because of its significance within the narrative of the political revolutions of the 18th century. 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. Matthias Middell, Megan Maruschke, The French Revolution as a Moment of Respatialization (2019), p. 71. [106] By the end of March, 5,000 French soldiers had died of yellow fever and another 5,000 were hospitalized with yellow fever, leading to a worried Leclerc to write in his diary: "The rainy season has arrived. The book was published 24 August 2021 and in September of that same year, it reached number three on the New York Times Bestseller List. [39], The African population on the island began to hear of the agitation for independence by the planters, who had resented France's limitations on the island's foreign trade. The revolution of 1911 was a critical moment in Chinese history because of how it paved the way for the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1949, an uprising that established the People's Republic of China. Matt | He began to rule the country as an effectively autonomous entity. [110][111][112] France's transformation was most influential in Europe, and Haiti's influence spanned every location that continued to practice slavery. 35 min playlist_add Dec 4, 2022 Appendix 10- The. Geggus points out that at least 3 of every 5 British troops sent there in 17911797 died of disease. [159], Despite the idealist, rational and utopian thinking surrounding both uprisings, extreme brutality was a fundamental aspect of both uprisings. [92] In June 1799, Rigaud initiated the War of Knives against Toussaint's rule, sending a brutal offensive at Petit-Gove and Grand-Gove. 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. "Napolon Bonaparte and the Emancipation Issue in Saint-Domingue, 17991803," French Historical Studies 32:4 (Fall 2009), 587618. 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. [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. With that, he withdrew a majority of the French forces in Haiti to counter the possibility of an invasion from Prussia, Britain, and Spain on a weakened France. Reportedly, he also ordered the unwilling to take part in the killings, especially men of mixed-race, so that blame would not rest solely on the black population. More than a translation from Spanish is a corruption. Rand, David. Also, on the French side, none of the colonies were making as much money as Haiti, so they were trying to maintain control even while there was a lot of turmoil in France. [117] Having sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States in April 1803, Napoleon accepted defeat in his failing ventures in the Western Hemisphere. He managed to force the regime to open up," Montas said. The rebels' organizational capacity and tenacity under pressure inspired stories that shocked and frightened slave owners in the hemisphere.[12]. Whites kept control of only a few isolated, fortified camps. On 16 November 1803, Dessalines began attacking the French blockhouses outside of Le Cap. [5] It is now widely seen as a defining moment in the history of the Atlantic World. [105] During the battle, Toussaint personally took part in the fighting to lead his men in charges against the French. [93] Though Toussaint maintained he was still loyal to France, to all intents and purposes, he ruled Saint Domingue as its dictator. [63] Of Grey's 7,000 men, about 5,000 died of yellow fever while the Royal Navy reported losing "forty-six masters and eleven hundred men dead, chiefly of yellow fever". 4.01- Saint-Domingue. As someone who was born and raised in Haiti and moved back there a couple of years ago (Cap-Haitien), I am so stoked for this series! [citation needed] Finally after twenty days of siege with food and ammunition running out, Dessalines ordered his men to abandon the fort on the night of 24 March 1802 and the Haitians slipped out of the fort to fight another day. Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Haitian Revolution. Spanish forces invaded Saint-Domingue and were joined by the rebels. The Haitian Revolution. Despite racial tensions in Saint-Domingue, the French revolutionary government at the time welcomed abolition with a show of idealism and optimism. Many plantations had large concentrations of slaves from a particular region of Africa, and it was therefore somewhat easier for these groups to maintain elements of their culture, religion, and language. [84], On 11 April 1797, Colonel Thomas Maitland of the 62nd Regiment of Foot landed in Port-au-Prince, and wrote in a letter to his brother that British forces in Saint-Domingue had been "annihilated" by the yellow fever. Revolutions Podcast Update: The End is Nigh? [18] The introduction to each episode is a clip from the second movement of Joseph Haydn's Symphony 92 (Oxford).[19]. Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, United States Declaration of Independence, French Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen, "Hero of two worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette and the Age of Revolution /", "Eye on Italy Interview: Episode 55: The History of Rome with Mike Duncan", "How Mike Duncan turned a passion for history into a podcasting career", "The Morning News: Articles Written By Mike Duncan & Jason Novak", "The Storm Before the Storm: An Interview With Historian and Podcast Superstar Mike Duncan", "Podcast Awards - Past Winners 2005-2016", "Podcasts Are Doing To Advertising What Uber Has Done To Transportation", "The Best History Podcasts to Listen to Right Now", "These Fascinating Podcasts Will Turn You Into a History Buff", "Revolutions, self-help and the election podcasts of the week", "The Storm Before the Storm: The Beginning of the End of the Roman Republic", "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - November 12, 2017 - The New York Times", "The Lawfare Podcast: Populisms Ancient and Modern with Mike Duncan", "5 HOT BOOKS: A History of Bunk, the Fall of Rome (with Modern Parallels) and More", "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - Sept. 12, 2021 - the New York Times", "Why Don't the French Celebrate Lafayette? Saint-Domingue's free people of color, or gens de couleur libres, numbered more than 28,000. 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. [114] (Other sources suggest the dogs may have been dogo cubanos sourced in their hundreds from Cuba rather than Jamaica. As the French retreated, Haiti, which had once been called the "Pearl of the Antilles", the richest French colony in the world, was impoverished, as its economy was in ruins after the revolution. It was the only successful slave revolt in modern times. [164] The Enlightenment ideals and the initiation of the French Revolution were enough to inspire the Haitian Revolution, which evolved into the most successful and comprehensive slave rebellion in history. The president of France on Thursday stepped into the cold mountain prison where Toussaint Louverture, a famed leader of the Haitian Revolution, died 220 years ago . Duncan drew inspiration for the Revolutions podcast out of a deep personal interest from his teenage years: "When I was really getting into history when I was a teenager, the American Revolution was my favorite period of American history. [83] Service in Saint-Domingue was extremely unpopular in the British Army owing to the terrible death toll caused by yellow fever. The planters would be free to operate slavery as they pleased without the existing minimal accountability to their French peers. More. [28], Duncan's second book, Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution, is a biography about the Marquis de Lafayette during the American and French revolutions and their aftermaths. Prominent wealthy American slave owners, reading about the revolution, also read speculation about what might come in their own states. Some of them focused in depth on a particular topic or person, while others were verbatim reproductions of historical texts such as the United States Declaration of Independence or the French Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen. 5 1 Comment Like Comment Most relevant Craig Buddy Loving the episodes. For example I even heard that the name "Bahamas" is a corruption of the spanish "Islas de bajamar" "that would be something as like "low tide islands" ;), Posted by: David Geggus asks: "How much of a difference did it make?" 04 April 2017 at 04:04 AM, Great map, really helps, (though little figures waving pitch forks and fire brands would be a nice touch. Fearing a return of French forces, Dessalines first expanded and maintained a significant military force. [105] Dessalines appeared before his men standing atop of a barrel of gunpowder, holding a lit torch, saying: "We are going to be attacked, and if the French put their feet in here, I shall blow everything up", leading his men to reply "We shall die for liberty!". [83] Even though Toussaint had been repulsed, the British were astonished that he had turned a group of former slaves with no military experience into troops whose skills were the equal of a European army. Now: The Russian Revolution Next: ??? In 2017, Duncan wrote The Storm Before the Storm, which was well reviewed and appeared on The New York Times Best Seller List.

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