Race and class outlined the major reasons for the revolution that occurred in Haiti. One of the first causes was when the French National Assembly issued the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (in 1789), proclaiming, “men are born and remain free and equal in rights” (Popkin). This caused massive debate and uprisings in Saint Domingue, because the majority of population was not free or did not posses equal rights, therefore, the uprising “forced [the French] to consider whether their principles applied to the 800,000 slaves in France’s overseas colonies” (Popkin). Because the white planation owners had a difficult time controlling their slaves during this point they would treat them even worse and ignore this Declaration from France.