Why Was Haiti So Important To The French Revolution?

Haiti was the second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere after the American Revolution in 1776 and was the only nation to receive independence from a successful revolt. It was more of the 1789 political revolution in France rather than the social and economic disenfranchisement that led to the Haitian Revolution of 1791 - 1804. However, the society that previously existed before the famous revolt had the reputation of being the most productive and valuable colony in the world by the late eighteenth century. The French colony, St. Domingue was considered to be the "Pearl of the Antilles" producing indigo, cotton and mostly, sugar and coffee. The ongoing pattern of slave labour had severe socio-political and economic consequences for the French colony. Firstly, the economy of Haiti was particularly tied to its mother country, France. Though, St. Domingue's economic position was flourishing, in which it had its

With the great revolutions that took place in the eighteenth century had the common theme of freedom and equality. The American Declaration of Independence in 1776 states that "all men are created equal." Furthermore, the French declaration of 1789 states that "men are born and remain free and equal in rights." Which raises the question, did this apply to the slaves in France's overseas colonies? The statements of the universality of equality appear to include the positions of slaves but the American declaration passed the statement on equality by adding that this right could only be claimed members of a people with their own properly organized government. Claudia E. Sutherland at the University of Washington believes that the changes in France, "a number of Haitian-born revolutionary movements emerged simultaneously. They used as their inspiration the French Revolution's 'Declaration of the Rights of