The causes of the Haitian Revolution
I can explain why enslaved people in Saint-Domingue rose up in revolt in 1791.
The causes of the Haitian Revolution
I can explain why enslaved people in Saint-Domingue rose up in revolt in 1791.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The French colony of Saint-Domingue's economy was based on enslaved people working on plantations.
- Most of the people on Saint-Domingue were enslaved people, but the population was diverse.
- French revolutionary ideas of equality and liberty caused a growth in abolitionist feeling among the colony's people.
- In 1791, a slave revolt broke out on the island, assisted by so-called 'free blacks' and indigenous people.
- Toussaint L'Ouverture emerged as the leader of the Haitian Revolution.
Keywords
Prosperous - refers to being economically successful or wealthy
Grands blancs - this was the name given to the group of French elites who ruled over the colony of Saint-Domingue
Indigenous - the original inhabitants of a specific area
Hierarchy - refers to a system in which members of a society are ranked according to status or authority
Common misconception
All the peoples who revolted in Saint-Domingue were enslaved people.
The revolutionaries of Saint-Domingue were comprised of a combination of enslaved people, free people of African descent and free indigenous people.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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