- On the eve of the French Revolution, the French colonial empire spanned three continents. The French West Indies, made up of Martinique, Guadeloupe and Saint Domingue, are of central importance for the metropolis:from an economic point of view, they allow:France to be the leading producer of sugar and of coffee in Europe.
- In the West Indies, skin color defines social position. A distinction is made between "whites", "free people of color" (or free people of color) and black or mixed-race slaves.
- The French Revolution and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen bring hope for slaves. But the abolition of slavery will result from a conflict that is both political and military:the West Indies experience a wave of insurrections, as in Saint-Pierre in August 1789, and in Guadeloupe in 1790 and 1791. These insurgencies fail and are accompanied by strong repression.
1791
Characters
Toussaint Louverture
Napoleon Bonaparte
Procedure
On the night of August 22 to 23, 1791, a slave revolt broke out on the island of Santo Domingo. Differences oppose the white settlers and the free people of color:the latter claim their political rights, which the whites refuse to grant. The colonial assemblies, where the white planters are there in number, are in fact the only ones to be able to legislate on the fate of the free people of color and the slaves.
The strong numerical superiority of the slaves and the disunity of the whites and the free of color (who could also own slaves) favor the insurrection, which turns into a real civil war. Toussaint Louverture, freed around the age of 30 and having benefited from an education, took the lead in the revolt of the slaves.
In an attempt to put an end to the revolt, the Legislative Assembly decided to recognize the rights policies of free people of color in March 1792. However, this progress did not calm the situation, especially since France had been at war since February 1793 against the British who were threatening French possessions. The situation is so difficult that the Convention decrees, on February 4, 1794, the abolition of slavery.
Consequences
- The French Revolution did not automatically bring freedom for slaves and true equality between individuals in the colonies. The abolition of slavery is the result of a long political struggle, which begins with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Constitution of 1793 which condemns slavery.
- Toussaint Louverture became the island's governor general in 1801. He undertook a complete reorganization of the island to establish an equally authoritarian power.
- When he took power, Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to restore a colonial-style economy and restore slavery. In February 1802, 23,000 soldiers landed on the island of Santo Domingo to reconquer it. The colored soldiers were disarmed, and Toussaint Louverture was arrested and sent to France, where he died on April 7, 1803.
- As yellow fever struck the troops sent by Napoleon, the insurrection resumed, and the independence of the island of Santo Domingo was proclaimed on st January 1804, under the name of Haiti.