Comparison Of Saint-Domingue And France

The primary goal of the French was to end the old government and rebuild a new one. Meanwhile, Haiti was trying to eliminate an oppressor and enslavement. These are two different focuses, and although they have influenced each other, they have no deep connections. France’s government in 1774 was an absolute monarchy represented by King Louis XVI. There was a great imbalance of power between the rich and the poor that lead the lower classes to revolt. The poor were starved and taxed endlessly, while the wealthy worried about rioting due to the high prices and shortages of bread. The whole country was on the brink of bankruptcy and under a tremendous amount of debt. Although the suffering of lower classes and the imbalance of rich and poor was

In both Saint-Domingue and France, the start of the revolution began with the lower classes. The slaves, the servants, and peasants had the most brutal hardships in Haiti and in France. For a rebellion to succeed, the first movements show the power the oppressed have and are essential to the outcome at the end. There are some dramatic events that are thought of as the beginning but very different plans lead up to them. In France, French workers attacked and captured the Bastille, looking for food and weapons to protect themselves from soldiers. The soldiers were sent by King Louis to preserve public order, although many thought they were there to terminate the National Assembly. The first revolt that sent Saint-Domingue onto a path of revolution began in 1791. Boukman Dutty (the leader of this general revolt) gave a signal, and plantations would be set alight. This was what many historians considered the start of the Haitian Revolution although there were months or planning before. Enlightenment ideas began to change the way French and Haitian citizens saw their country and government, which led to ideas of freedom. Enlightenment ideas in France challenged some of the principles of society and introduced new ideas about the government. Many philosophers were exiled from France or were banned from writing about the Enlightenment. The rebellions in Saint-Domingue at first were only protesting for better conditions, but became more radical as more people joined. The enslaved who tried to escape or start a revolt were punished very violently or even killed. Although they’re both similar in the way they started and the Enlightenment gave inspiration to both countries, the Haitians wanted freedom, while the French just wanted fair