Saint-Domingue: The Haitian Revolution

Today, the Haitian people adore their unique culture along with their country’s rich history. Much like citizens of The United States, the Haitian people hold their revolution as a symbol of nationalistic pride. In fact, the Haitian Revolution was the second revolution in the Americas: following the United States Revolution. However, the two revolutions weren’t as alike as one might think. While the United States used guns to fight off their colonial ties, Haiti used a religion: Vodou. But how effective was this tactic? Did the people who practice Vodou actually put spells on their enemies? Or can it be seen more as a motivator? The answer can be found in the history of the island and the revolution itself.

The Haitian Revolution took

This dramatic growth in the colony was made possible by the French planter’s use of African slaves at an ever-increasing rate. The huge growth of economy and slave population in Saint-Domingue in the late 1700s was greater than any of its neighboring Caribbean colonies. The large import of the African slaves turned the colony into a melting pot of many different races, cultures and religions. In fact, it is for this reason that some historians claim the burst in growth may be a reason why the slave revolt was so successful in Saint-Domingue, but failed in several other colonies around the

While Roman Catholics have a central figure, the pope, and a book, the bible, which define the religion, Vodou does not. This causes many beliefs and practices of the Vodou practitioners to widely very between the different regions. The majority of the variations include the belief of the Iwa. Practitioners often pray to a specific Iwa for a specific purpose. Often times, Vodou priests and priestesses call on the Iwa for help in healing and administering natural medicines. Iwas work through the transformative powers of magic that can be used for both offensive and defensive purposes. Not all magic is good, many practitioners believe in a dark magic that can put curses and spells on the person it is directed