What Role Did Race Play In The American Revolution

David Bloch
12-6-15
World History
Essay

The Role of Race in the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) Just when the American Constitution was going into effect in 1789, a revolution broke out in France. Just like the Americans, the French also proclaimed that men are born and remain free and have equal rights. But did this apply to the slaves in France’s overseas colonies? Mainly I will discuss the role played by race in the Haitian Revolution in this paper. France did not possess many colonies in the New World. The three Caribbean colonies of Saint Domingue (today’s republic of Haiti), Guadeloupe, and Martinique contained almost as many slaves as the thirteen original American colonies. Race was a key factor in the decision of France to abolish slavery in all of

The newly arrived slaves had to learn Creole (a dialect of the French Language). The slave owners in the French colonies participated actively in the French Revolution. They demanded liberty for themselves, above all, while at the same time, they owned slaves. This put the supporters of the French Revolution in an uncomfortable situation. The freed slaves, many of whom, who had been educated in France, were supporters of the French Revolution as well. They were very frustrated when plantation owners would not grant them equal rights along with the whites. On the night of the 21-22nd of August, 1791, a coordinated slave revolt broke out in the northern part of the island. Black slaves killed their masters and set fire to plantation buildings. Although the revolts did great damage, the whites kept control on the colonies major cities. They felt that the troops would eventually arrive from france and help them contain the revolt. The black abolitionists were negotiating freedom for themselves and their families, and for a system in which slaves would work three days a week for themselves, and three days a week