The Role Of Slavery In Haiti

During the seventeenth century, the system of slavery was very popular around the world. Hispaniola, which is Haiti today, was the first colony in the Caribbean to rebel against the system of slavery to form an independent nation. Hispaniola was a much flourished colony. Many countries at that time like, France and Spain, were very interested to maintain the status quo. This practice was very detrimental to the people.

The end of slavery was inevitable in Haiti. This system weighs down heavily on the slaves. The slaves have been mistreated physically and psychologically. They were subject of hard labor. In spite of the lack of freedom , they found their own way to communicate with one another. The slaves organized themselves to rebel against their

Each group had its own plan and regularly worked against the other rebel groups. The Haitian Revolution influenced the Louisiana Purchase. The event that set off the revolution happened in August 1791. There was a rebellion called “Night of Fire.” That was where slaves revolted in the French colony previously known as San Domingue. White people were butchered, and plantations were destroyed.

The French was scared that they might lose Haiti as a colony altogether. If France lost Haiti, the French economy would be disastrous because the Sugar plantations were the cash crop to France and brought in treasure.

On 18 September 1792 Leiger Sonthonax was sent from France to take control of the chaotic situation. He succeeded in keeping the rebellion under control, but the war with Britain quickly destroyed his work. Britain and Spain invaded the island and told the slaves to stop listening to Sonthonax and continue the rebellion. One of the rebel leaders was Toussaint L’Ouverture, a former slave, and became a rebel general. Toussaint made an ally of the Spanish, mainly because he thought that the people joined forces w work with him to abolish