The Haitian Revolution

Slavery in the Dominican Republic differed from the other islands because the Spanish made considerably little effort to make sure that slaves had no liberties or choices whereas other colonies made it a priority to keep slaves down. Not to say that slavery in DR wasn’t brutal but in comparison to Haiti, life was a little bit better. Primarily because Haiti was actually a slave society and the planters were genuinely out for maximum profit which would cause them to try to get the most labor out of their slaves. One can say that this led to more brutality and a lower quality of life because it all revolved around profit. Dominican slavery was viewed more as forced labor; I realize that the terms are virtually synonymous but ‘forced labor’ sounds less harsh, just like the lifestyle.

            In DR, Toussaint Louverture was the driving force behind the abolishment of slavery. It’s a bit ironic that a Haitian was responsible for Dominican freedom but in modern day society there still lies a deep hatred between the two sides of the island. Slavery was officially abolished in 1822 (the Spanish managed to reinstate slavery for a period of time after Toussaint’s reign).  Although Toussaint led the revolution, it is important to note that its was pushed by Gens de colour who experienced inequality although they were technically free.

          

  It is evident that the Haitian Revolution had everything to do with the abolishment of slavery in the Dominican Republic. Had it not been for Toussaint’s testicular fortitude, Santo Domingo would not have been freed, and a lot of people would have been left uninspired. Jean-Jacques Dessalines was one of these inspired men; he led a force that defeated the French and was responsible for creating the world’s first black republic. The Haitian occupation of the Dominican Republic protected it until independence was declared.

            Upon the abolishment of slavery, Haiti was the first black-led nation that was a result of a revolution. However, the already shambled country  was indebted to France for about 60 million francs. In my opinion that was a slap in the face since the French enslaved the island and made a plethora of money from it; for some reason they held the country (that they raped and pillaged, by the way) responsible for the loss of profit.

            Although Napoleon put and end to the works of Toussaint, the legacy lives on because it created a change on the international stage. It was a sovereign state that existed autonomously after colonialism, and that’s a pretty big deal. More importantly it successfully led a revolution against a European empire. Events that ensued after the revolution aren’t necessarily relevant but one could say that uprisings occurring after were undoubtedly inspired by the Haitian Revolution. The Dominican Republic would’ve probably been enslaved for a significantly longer period of time if it weren’t for the Haitian; Toussaint Louverture.

Thomas O. Ott, The Haitian Revolution 1789-1804 (Knoxville, Tennessee:University of Tennessee, 1973); http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p2990.html

Freedom and Oppression of Slaves in the Eighteenth-Century Caribbean

Author(s): Arthur L. Stinchcombe

Source: American Sociological Review, Vol. 59, No. 6 (Dec., 1994), pp. 911-929

Published by: American Sociological Association

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2096375 .

From Hidden Hand to Heavy Hand: Sugar, the State, and Migrant Labor in Haiti and the Dominican Republic

Samuel Martinez

Latin American Research Review 
Vol. 34, No. 1 (1999), pp. 57-84

Published by: The Latin American Studies Association

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2503926