Page 4 - Hispaniola

The Revolution

Begins

VOCAB

In 1791, After learning about the successful French Revolution which had
established equality in the French society, the slaves learnt about the
YORUBA - POPULAR enlightenment ideals and the laws in the Declaration of Rights of Man and
CULTURE IN AFRICA Citizen. The constitution included the following laws: “Men are born and
remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only
THAT PRACTICED upon the general good.The aim of all political association is the

VOODOO preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights
are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.The free
communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the
rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with
freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be
MAROONS - RUNAWAY defined by law. Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one shall
SLAVES be deprived thereof except where public necessity, legally determined, shall
clearly demand it, and then only on condition that the owner shall have
been previously and equitably indemnified.” (History of Haiti, The French
Revolution Begins 1788-1790). These laws inspired the slaves of Saint
Domingue to revolt, fight back and achieve liberation from the bonds of
slavery. Boukman Dutty was one of the first slaves to revolt back against the
government. Boukman Dutty was a Yoruba slave and was enslaved as a very
young man and sent to the West Indies. On Jamaica, Boukman found himself
working as a slave on sugar plantations, he later went to Hispaniola where
he joined a band of maroons. In 1791, Boukman Dutty organized small
rebellions where slaves would burn down their owners plantations in order
to cause panic and chaos. But on November 7th 1791, Boukman was killed by
the French authorities on the island, who tried to put a stop to the
rebellion. Meanwhile, a member of the Affranchis class, Toussaint
Louverture, a freed black slave had started forming the revolution that was
taking over Saint Domingue.