How Did The French Revolution Influence The Haitian Revolution

Marked as the largest and most successful slave rebellion in the French colony of Saint- Domingo, the Haitian Revolution during the period from 1791-1804 was a social and political upheaval that marked a milestone in African history.The Haitian Revolution began because rich white planters and gens de couleur (free non-white Haitian men and women) wanted more economic freedom and home rule. Dominated by agriculture and trade, Saint Domingo with its tropical climate was known as the coffee and sugar planting colony. Producing over 60% of the world coffee and 40% of the the worlds sugar Saint Domingo became the most profitable plantation colony in France. To meet the growing needs and demands of this plantation system, French colonists expanded the number of

Gens de Couleur were free people of color who could often be wealthy. They considered themselves French but had no political representation in the government back in France. Slaves, took up most of the population of France, were brutally treated and had no representation. Maroons were runaway slaves that were seen as very suspicious, living in isolated areas. The French Revolution was another important factor that shaped the Haitian Revolution. The French Revolution in 1789 greatly influenced the Haitians to revolt against the government in 1791 due to the unfair rights and laws among both countries. Africans were taken from their homes and sold as slaves in Haiti in desperate need of money. Haitians were not able to trade with outside countries. Slaves also did not earn as much they worked. They were forced to work in sugar plantations and were treated poorly and malnourished. Another cause of the Haitian revolution was due to mercantilism. The mercantilist system was the control of the government to forbid foreign