Haitian Revolution Essay

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The Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution of 1789-1803 transformed Saint Domingue into an independent ran by slaves. The Revolution was the result of free slaves who were still being ruled by the French and were forced to complete a mandatory three-year term of military service. The Haitian Revolution is not well known, but it is the most successful slave rebellion in the western hemisphere.
During the Revolution there were many figures who contributed to the success of the revolts. One was named Vincent Ogé, he was a mulatto who was wealthy and free, but still saw the horrors that were being done in Saint Domingue. Ogé was free, but his rights were limited because he was mixed. Ogé argued to French leaders that free men of color should be able to have the same rights as the white colonists living in Saint Domingue. When the French refused, Ogé took matters into his own hands and put together a small revolt that included himself, an American Revolution veteran named Jean-Baptiste Chavannes, and about 250 free men of color. Ogé and his rebels were successful the first few times, but they were soon defeated by a larger military force in Santo Domingo, and Ogé was publicly executed. Ogé’s bravery gave inspiration to the rebels who successfully won their independence during the Revolution.
Social classes in Saint Domingue played a huge part in the slave revolts. The first part of the social class were the French and white colonists, who were in control of everything. Then came the mulattoes, who had the advantage of being free, but were still being oppressed by the French and white colonists who only saw them as people of color. The last social class were the black slaves, who were just considered as property and suffered cruel t...

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...an constitution once they stepped foot into the country. In Venezuela, the people wanted to gain their independence and the Haitians inspired them to do so. In America slaves living there felt hope that their nightmares could end.]
In August 1791, the slaves of Saint Domingue took matters into their own hands and began a rebellion. The racism and torture they endured is what sparked the rebellion and created a whole revolution that reshaped the way Haiti is today. The Haitian Revolution is not a revolution that is not well known, but it is the most successful slave rebellion in the western hemisphere. The revolution was so successful and powerful because of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the man who led Saint Domingue to their independence. The power of the Haitian Revolution has left its mark on the world today because of its victory and success.

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