The Haitian Revolution 1791 - 1804

PBS Documentary Titled - Egalite for All: Toussaint Louverture & The Haitian Revolution

The Haitian Revolution (French: Révolution haïtienne [ʁevɔlysjɔ̃ ajisjɛ̃n]), was a successful anti-slavery and anti-colonial insurrection that took place in the former French colony of Saint-Domingue that lasted from 1791 until 1804. It affected the institution of slavery throughout the Americas. Self-liberated slaves destroyed slavery at home, fought to preserve their freedom, and with the collaboration of mulattoes, founded the sovereign state of Haiti. It led to the greatest slave uprising since Spartacus's unsuccessful revolt against the Roman Republic nearly 1,900 years prior.

The Haitian Revolution was the only slave uprising that led to the founding of a state free from slavery and ruled by non-whites and former captives. With the increasing number of Haitian Revolutionary Studies in the last few decades, it has become clear that the event was a defining moment in the racial histories of the Atlantic World. The legacy of the Revolution was that it challenged long-held beliefs about black inferiority and of the enslaved person's capacity to achieve and maintain freedom. The rebels' organizational capacity and tenacity under pressure became the source of stories that shocked and frightened slave owners.

François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture (French: [fʁɑ̃swa dɔminik tusɛ̃ luvɛʁtyʁ] 20 May 1743 – 7 April 1803), also known as Toussaint L'Ouverture or Toussaint Bréda, was the best-known leader of the Haitian Revolution. His military and political acumen saved the gains of the first Black insurrection in November 1791. He first fought for the Spanish against the French; then for France against Spain and Britain; and finally, for Saint-Domingue (modern Haiti)'s colonial sovereignty against Napoleonic France. He then helped transform the insurgency into a revolutionary movement, which by 1800 had turned Saint-Domingue, the most prosperous slave colony of the time, into the first free colonial society to have explicitly rejected race as the basis of social ranking.

Though Toussaint did not sever ties with France, his actions in 1800 constituted a de facto autonomous colony. The colony's constitution proclaimed him governor for life even against Napoleon Bonaparte's wishes. He died betrayed before the final and most violent stage of the armed conflict. However, his achievements set the grounds for the Black army's absolute victory and for Jean-Jacques Dessalines to declare the sovereign state of Haiti in January 1804. Toussaint's prominent role in the Haitian success over colonialism and slavery had earned him the admiration of friends and detractors alike.

Toussaint Louverture began his military career as a leader of the 1791 slave rebellion in the French colony of Saint-Domingue; he was by then a free black man and a Jacobin. Initially allied with the Spaniards of neighboring Santo Domingo (modern Dominican Republic), Toussaint switched allegiance to the French when they abolished slavery. He gradually established control over the whole island and used political and military tactics to gain dominance over his rivals. Throughout his years in power, he worked to improve the economy and security of Saint-Domingue. He restored the plantation system using paid labour, negotiated trade treaties with Britain and the United States, and maintained a large and well-disciplined army.

In 1801, he promulgated an autonomist constitution for the colony, with himself as Governor-General for Life. In 1802 he was forced to resign by forces sent by Napoleon Bonaparte to restore French authority in the former colony. He was deported to France, where he died in 1803. The Haitian Revolution continued under his lieutenant, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who declared independence on January 1, 1804. The French had lost two-thirds of forces sent to the island in an attempt to suppress the revolution; most died of yellow fever.

Dr. Molefi Asante discusses his dream for a United States of Africa, a movement begun by Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president. He will examine the prospect for an African Renaissance based on the idea of an African Federative Union and present the prospects and problems of a continental government in Africa.

Essex County College's Africana Institute's Garvey/Nkrumah Lecture Series from 2014 featuring Dr. Leonard Jeffries. Created by the Essex County College Media Production & Technology Center.

We must wake up. We have slept too long and retreated far longer.Dr. Asa G. Hilliard III was the Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Urban Education at Georgia State University, with joint appointments in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education. A teacher, psychologist, and historian, he began his career in the Denver Public Schools. He earned a B.A. in Educational Psychology, M.A. in Counseling, and Ed.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Denver, where he also taught in the College of Education and in the Philosophy colloquium of the Centennial Scholars Honors Program.Dr. Hilliard served on the faculty at San Francisco State University for eighteen years. During that time he was a Department Chair for two years, Dean of Education for eight years, and was consultant to the Peace Corps and Superintendent of Schools in Monrovia, Liberia for two years. He has participated in the development of several national assessment systems, such as proficiency assessment for professional educators, and developmental assessments of young children and infants. He had been active in forensic psychology, serving as an expert witness on the winning side in several landmark federal cases on test validity and bias. Dr. Hilliard is a founding member of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations and served as its first Vice President. He was the co-developer along with Listervelt Middleton, of a popular educational DVD series, Free Your Mind, Return To The Source: African Origins, as well as having produced videotapes and educational materials on African History through his production company, Waset Education Productions. Dr. Hilliard wrote numerous technical papers, articles, and books on testing, Ancient African History, teaching strategies, public policy, cultural styles, and child growth and development. In addition, he consulted with many of the leading school districts, universities, government agencies, and private corporations on valid assessment, curriculum equity and teacher training. Several of his programs in pluralistic curriculum, assessment, and valid teaching have become national models.WORKS BY DR. ASA GRANT HILLIARD IIIHilliard, Asa G. "The Egyptian Mystery System, Greek Philosophy and Dr. George G.M. James." Uraeus 1, No. 2 (1978): 46-48Hilliard, Asa G. "Free Your Mind, Return to the Source: The African Origin of Civilization". San Francisco: Urban Institute for Human Services, 1978.Hilliard, Asa G. "Basic Family Bibliography on African and African-American History and Culture." Return to the Source 1, No. 4 (1982): 13.Hilliard, Asa G. "Kemetic Concepts in Education." Nile Valley Civilizations: Proceedings of the Nile Valley Conference, Atlanta, Sept. 26-30. Edited by Ivan Van Sertima. New Brunswick: Journal of African Civilizations, 1984: 153-62.Hilliard, Asa G. Afterword to the Wonderful Ethiopians of the Ancient Cushite Empire, by Drusilla Dunjee Houston. Baltimore: Black Classic Press, 1985.Hilliard, Asa G. "Blacks in Antiquity: A Review." African Presence in Early Europe. Edited by Ivan Van Sertima. New Brunswick: Journal of African Civilizations, 1985: 90-95.Hilliard, Asa G. Introduction to Stolen Legacy, by George G.M. James. San Francisco: Julian Richardson Associates, 1985.Hilliard, Asa G. Foreword to Golden Names for a Golden People: African and Arabic Names, by Nia Damali. Atlanta: Blackwood Press, 1986.Hilliard, Asa G. "Pedagogy in Ancient Kemet." Kemet and the African Worldview: Research, Rescue and Restoration. Edited by Maulana Karenga and Jacob H. Carruthers. Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press, 1986: 131-50.Hilliard, Asa G. The Cultural Unity of Black Africa: The Domains of Patriarchy and of Matriarchy in Classical Antiquity." Great African Thinkers. Vol. 1, Cheikh Anta Diop. Edited by Ivan Van Sertima and Larry Obadele Williams. New Brunswick: Journal of African Civilizations, 1986: 102-109.Hilliard, Asa G. Introduction to From the Browder File, by Anthony T. Browder. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Karmic Guidance, 1989.Hilliard, Asa G. "Kemetic (Egyptian) Historical Revision: Implications for Cross Cultural Evaluation and Research in Education." Evaluation Practice 10, No. 2 (1989): 7-23.Hilliard, Asa. G. "Waset, The Eye of Ra and the Abode of Maat: The Pinnacle of Black Leadership in the Ancient World." Egypt Revisited. Rev. ed. Edited by Ivan Van Sertima. New Brunswick: Journal of African Civilizations, 1989: 211-38.Hilliard, Asa G. Foreword to Kemet and Other Ancient African Civilizations: Selected References, compiled by Vivian Verdell Gordon. Chicago: Third World Press, 1991.Hilliard, Asa G. "The Meaning of KMT (Ancient Egyptian) History for Contemporary African-American Experience, Part II" Color 1, No. 2 (1991): 10-13.

Filmed highlights of the May 27, 1972 African Liberation Day held in Washington, DC to demonstrate support for Black freedom fighters in Africa and to foster Pan-Africanism.

#AfricaLiberationDay

Black Heritage Series produced in 1969, WHERE DID THEY COME FROM, AFRICAN ORIGINS OF ORGANIZED SOCIETIESspeaker is Dr. John Henrik Clarke editor of FreedomWays Magazinefrom Wikipedia: John Henrik Clarke (born John Henry Clark), (January 1, 1915 - July 12, 1998) was an African-American historian, professor, and a pioneer in the creation of Pan-African and Africana studies, and professional institutions in academia starting in the late 1960s

WorldBeat Cultural Center Presents: Afro-Mexican History Month

The African Presence in Latin America, a three-part online series featuring renowned historian, Dr. Runoko Rashidi.  This livestreamed event looks at The African Resistance to Enslavement in Latin America, including slave revolts and maroon communities. Event takes place on August 26th, 2020 at 6pm.

The series continues in  September  3. Part 3 is an overview of the African Presence in Latin America Today, including Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico and Panama.

Each presentation is beautifully illustrated with brilliant original photographs presented by Dr Runoko Rashidi.


 Runoko Rashidi is an anthropologist and historian with a major focus on what he calls the Global African Presence that is, Africans outside of Africa before and after enslavement. He is the author or editor of eighteen books, the most recent of which are My Global Journeys in Search of the African Presence and Assata-Garvey and Me: A Global African Journey for Children in 2017. As a traveler and researcher Dr. Rashidi has visited 120 countries. As a lecturer and presenter, he has spoken in sixty-five countries. Runoko has worked with and under some of the most distinguished scholars of our generation, including Ivan Van Sertima, John Henrik Clarke, Asa G. Hilliard, Edward Scobie, John G. Jackson, Jan Carew and Yosef ben-Jochannan.