The Haitian Revolution
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
July 1789- In France, the Bastille (fortress) was taken by revolutionaries,
which began the French revolution.
September 1789- The gens de couleurs (mixed) asks St. Domingue whites
for equal rights but were denied.
April 1790- In France, the Assembly debates the rights of mulattoes/mixed
persons and decides that mixed persons with two free parents should be
allowed to vote. (This allowed approx. 400 people in St. Domingue to vote)
October 1790- Vincent Ogé, representing the Amis de Noirs (Friends of the
Negroes) he goes to plead the cause of mixed race people but is arrested
and executed in St. Domingue.
March 1791- French soldiers sent to St. Domingue to help the colonial
assembly keep order. These soldiers however support the free coloureds
and the Africans stating that all men are equal and free
Vincent OgéMulatto leader
August 1791- Under Boukman, a Vodun priest, several thousand slaves revolt.
Slaves murdered their masters and set fire to the plantations. They take control
of the country side.
September 1791- Toussaint L’Ouverture joins the revolutionaries.
October 1791- A concordat(agreement ) is signed between the royalists, rich
whites and coloureds which allows full rights for the mixed people. The mixed
persons would now be helping the whites and Oge to be recognised as a hero.
The whites and mixed armies march in unity in Port-au-Prince (capital) together.
21 November 1791- A member of the mixed race is hanged by some whites,
sparking fighting in the streets. Violent spreads and two-thirds of Port-au-Prince
is destroyed by fire.
Depictions of Toussaint
L’Ouverture
Boukman Dutty
Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Henri Christophe
Georges Biassou
November 1791Starvation in St. Domingue due to no food. One of the black revolutionaries
say they would lead their followers back into slavery if the 400 leaders in the
revolt are given their freedom but they do not agree to this. Toussaint
reduces the number of leaders to 60, but it is still denied and Toussaint
decides to continue revolting until every person is free.
April 1792- Mixed race persons are declared equal in France.
July 1792- Toussaint forms an army starting with a few hundred trained men.
September 1792- Three commissioners arrive in St. Domingue to suppress
the revolt with 6000 soldiers and 15 ships from France
January 1793- French king executed in France
June 1793- The Spanish become the allies of the black revolutionaries in St.,
Domingue against the French. Jean Francois and Biassou are made
lieutenants-general of the armies and Toussaint is made colonel of 600 men.
August 1793- One of the commissioners, Sonthonax, declares slavery abolished
and an army of whites and the mixed persons rebel against this and wage war
against the Spanish and the blacks who are winning.
September 1793- British forces land in St. Domingue to suppress the revolt and
enforce slavery.
January 1794- British take control of port in Port-au-Prince, West Province and
South.
May 1794- Toussaint joins the French against the British.
June 1794- Toussaint with 4000 troops retakes the north province from the
Spanish , starts driving back the British. (yellow fever helped decimate the
British)
1795- British withdraw from St. Domingue . Toussaint is to keep the rebellion
from Jamaica and a trade agreement with Britain is also signed.
January 1796- Toussaint made proconsul of the district
August 1796- Toussaint is made a general by the French government
May 1797- Toussaint is confirmed as Commander in Chief and Governor of St.
Domingue by French.
October 1801- Napoleon Bonaparte (first consul of France) sends 20,000
troops to St. Domingue under the command of General Le Clerc to
overthrow Toussaint and restore order to St. Domingue.
Feb-March 1802- Around 5000 French soldiers killed and 5000
hospitalised.
April 1802- Toussaint sends a letter to Le Clerc offering a truce with
Napoleon. He asks for freedom of all blacks and all black officers to
retain their positions. However, Le Clerc claims that Toussaint has
surrendered. Toussaint and Dessalines think that they themselves were
victorious.
June 1802- LeClerc asks for more men from France (10,000) as his men
are dying from yellow fever in St. Domingue
June 1802- General Brunet requests a meeting with Toussaint and he is
arrested with his wife and son and niece and are put in a ship headed to
France.
July 1802- Blacks begin revolting as they fear the French government will
restore slavery again.
August 1802- Toussaint imprisoned in the Jura Mountains.
September 1802- Le Clerc says if he does not receive the men, France will lose
the war.
November 1802- Le Clerc himself dies of yellow fever. Many of the soldiers are
dead or injured. General Rochambeau takes over and gets the 10,00 men. He
sets about restoring slavery in St. Domingue but his army attacks the mixed
persons as well.
April 1803- Toussaint dies at 57.
November 1803- Blacks and mixed race under Dessalines attack Le Cap.
Rochambeau leaves the island.
December 1803- A declaration of independence is officially read and the colony
re-names itself Haiti.
October 1804- Dessalines declares himself Emperor of Haiti.
January 1805- All whites in Haiti are massacred on Dessaline’s order.