Difference Between American And Haitian Revolutions

The European Enlightenment with its emphasis on individual rights and criticism of monarchy contributed significant ideals to the French and Haitian revolutions. This intellectual and cultural movement was based on the idea that human society was not fixed and could be improved through reason and rationality. Enlightenment thinkers emphasized individualism, liberty, and freedom, which often led to challenges to a higher authority. Such views set a foundation for both revolution’s intellectual basis of liberty and equality by affecting a large lower-middle-class population in France as well as Haitian slaves. Between 1750 and 1900, the French and Haitian revolutions originated from the same cultural ideas in the enlightenment. These revolutions

Remnants of European feudalism remained as society was organized into strict social classes with the elite benefiting from the labor of those below. In both places, the lowest classes congregated to protest social inequalities. The estates system in France organized society into three distinct social classes; first, second, and third estate. This is significant because one’s rights and social status determine their privileges in society. The clergy and nobility comprised 4% of the population yet owned 30% of the land and paid little to no taxes. While peasants in the countryside were over ninety percent of the population, yet had less voting power than the first and second estates combined. Furthermore, Ideas from the English philosopher John Locke who believed in natural law influenced both revolutions. The idea of ‘Natural Law’ was the idea that if a ruler or authority goes against the people and violates life and liberty, people were justified to overthrow the state. The French colonies of Haiti utilized a large number of African slaves for sugar-cane production. Slaves were viewed as property and often subjected to harsh punishment and working conditions. White elites were at the top of the Haitian hierarchy, and at the bottom were slaves (noirs). Out of a population of 520,000 in 1791, 87% of the population were slaves. This large population was influenced by Enlightenment

France was in an economic crisis in the late 18th century after the ‘seven years war’. King Louie, who failed to lead his country through this struggle desperately called the meeting of the Estates General. The Estates General was a legislative body made up of the three estates. When the two upper estates voted against the third estate, the public was outraged at their lack of power. The Tennis Court Oath that followed, marked a critical moment that started the French Revolution. This was significant because it put out the idea that the political power of a nation stemmed from the people, not the government. The original aim of the French revolution was to fix the relationship and inequalities between the people and rulers. Haitian slaves wanted the abolition of slavery and freedom from their masters. Haiti saw the first and only slave uprising that successfully lead to a free state. What made it violent was the built-up rage that resulted from years of abuse and oppression. Toussaint Louverture, a Haitian general led many insurrections against the French colonists. In only ten days, thousands of plantations were burned and over a thousand white colonists were killed. This shows that the Haitian slaves were extremely frustrated with their masters and slavery as a whole. In the end, slavery was abolished by France. Both revolutions differed in their goals