Name:
Date:
The Legacies of French Colonialism and the Haitian Revolution
in Haiti Today
Part I: The Legacies of French Colonialism:
Directions: View the links below to answer the following questions. You can also find these
links on our wikispace http://robbatcaribbeanhistory.wikispaces.com/ under “Unit 3”.
1. What are the legacies of French Colonialism in Haiti and how do they continue to shape
Haitian society? http://www.choices.edu/resources/scholarsonline/bogues/tb2.php
2. What are some of the historical reasons for Haiti’s poverty?
http://www.choices.edu/resources/scholars_Bogues.php
Part II: The Haitian Revolution and Haiti Today
Directions: Explore the relationship between history and popular culture by analyzing the
attitudes expressed in art, poetry, and literature. Answer the questions below as you do so.
Poetry: Haiti Tomorrow
1. What is the tone of this poem? In other words, what attitude is expressed? List the words or
phrases that support your conclusion.
2. According to this poem, what are people in Haiti striving for?
3. According to this poem, what does freedom mean?
4. a. How do the ideas expressed in this poem relate to the Haitian Revolution?
b. Through your interpretation, how do Haitians today think about the Revolution?
Literature: From “A Wall on Fire Rising” in Krik? Krak!
1. What is the tone of this excerpt? In other words, what attitude is expressed? List the words or
phrases that support your conclusion.
2. Explain the significance of the following sentence. “It was obvious that this was a speech
written by a European man, who gave to the slave revolutionary Boukman the kind of European
phrasing that might have sent the real Boukman turning in his grave”. (He was referenced in
Toussaint video).
3. Through your interpretation, how do Haitians today think about the Revolution?
Painting: Dessaline Ripping the White from the Flag
1. What is the tone of this painting? In other words, what attitude is expressed? How did you
interpret its tone?
2. Describe what is happening in the painting
3. Identify symbolism in this painting. What did the artist use? What emotions, etc. does the
symbol convey?
3. Through your interpretation, how do Haitians today think about the Revolution?
Together we will view and answer: How do people in Haiti think about the Revolution today?
http://www.choices.edu/resources/scholarsonline/dupuy/ad12.php
Conclusion: What is the short and long term impact of the Haitian Revolution?
Sources are from: Choices for the 21st Century Education Program. Brown University.