The beginnings of the Haitian revolution
The Haitian Revolution began in August 1791 with the general revolt of slaves in the north of the colony of Saint-Domingue, and ended with the proclamation of Haiti’s independence on January 1, 1804.
From its inception, the Haitian revolution stood out from the other great revolutions of its time, and was able to acquire the reputation of a complete revolution, having succeeded in the total upheaval of an unjust system, continually maintained by the exercise of the wickedness of one group of men against another group of men, because of the differentiation resulting from the color of their skin.
Known to be both anti-slavery, anti-colonialist, and anti-racist, the originality of the Haitian revolution has no equivalent among its competitors in this area. It is unique, in the sense that it is the only outcome of a revolt led by slaves, leading to the creation of a free and independent state.
Indeed, it is indeed the oppressed who liberated themselves, in the wake of their own revolutionary steps, and who not only fought for their freedom but also took charge of the governance of their conquered country at the end. fighting, pushing out of the conquered territory what remained of the colonial army. Where, in the name of a metropolis, it dominated with an iron fist, for centuries in the dirtiest barbarism.
From the proclamation of its final victory, the Haitian revolution encountered a world hostile to its evolution.
The entire rest of the American continent, the day after January 1, 1804, was still under the domination of the slave system. Having become a real threat to an entire system with multiple issues, and extremely lucrative, Haïti was quite naturally designated as a pest not to get too close. Even the English who had ended up putting aside the slave trade in their colonial practice at a given moment, and who partially fought it themselves for civilizational reasons, did not want to recognize Haïti as an independent state after its glorious victory against Napoleonic France. Because in fighting against France and slavery, Haïti was certainly an ally, but one which threatened their colonial interests in its own way. Imperial Russia was the only country that had the courage to recognize Haiti’s independence the day after its independence.
