Revolutionary

The Haitian Revolution follows the Crane Brinton Anatomy of a Revolution, and therefore follows our analysis. In the preliminary stage characteristics class antagonism was displayed in that Haiti was very wealthy (because of the abundance of coffee, cotton, sugar, and indigo, and plantations) and slaves outnumbered the white plantation owners approximately 10 to 1. The slaves were treated very badly and this created social tensions, along with tensions between the poor whites, free people of color, and even the wealthy whites. The slaves were also told about the French Revolution, since they were a french colony, and were told that the French National Convention officially abolished slavery in France and all of its colonies. But the plantation owners thought differently. The state then became economically weak and although the economy was doing well due to the huge amount of agricultural production taking place, the lifestyle and economy among the slaves was horrendous which became dangerous for the slave owners but they kept the slaves ignorant and oblivious to the numbers. The central government was ineffective and could not enforce its rules. The number of slaves and Gens de Colour was growing and the whites were being more and more outnumbered. New ideas were circulating which challenged old traditions.

The Gens de Colour (who were sent to France for their education) were exposed to the Declaration of the Rights of Man that was instituted in France and learned about people having freedom and rights as well as they learned of a successful revolution. A vocally powerful and influential opposition  then arises. They were a group of Gens de Colour got together to form a group who would speak out for their rights and demand freedoms. The old social elites then attempted to reassert their privileges.The first civil commission from France passed a decree allowing the Gens de Colour (free blacks) to have the freedom and rights of French citizens. Some disaster rallies the forces who oppose the revolution and the whites refused to implement the changes involved in the decree of April 4. As a result, the French sent in a second Civil Commission - including Léger Félicité Sonthonax and Polvérel - to help enforce it Some short-term event then sparks a conflict. When the second Civil Commission arrived in Saint Domingue, slaves tried to negotiate with them, lobbying for their own rights. The Civil Commission says no to the slaves' requests, leading to an uprising among the slaves. The start of the rebellion sparked fear among the whites, causing many of them to flee to America eventually leading to the creation of the Monroe Doctrine - which stated that Haitians and their slaves were no longer welcome as immigrants in America. The government is then too divided and weak to suppress the revolt. The whole political structure of Saint Domingue began to fall apart and the whites were divided into royalists and those who supported the new republic in France. The army of dissatisfied slaves who wanted to rebel was growing very rapidly. The moderates come to control and initiate changes and the second Civil Commission and the Gens de Colour teamed up with each other to fight against the whites and end up defeating them. Meanwhile, Toussaint L'Ouverture was temporarily offering his services as a military commander to Spain so he could aid in defeating the French attempts to re-establish slavery. Upon defeating the whites, they enforced, the decree that they originally made on April 4 of the previous year - granting freedom and rights to the Gens de Colour. A few months later, British troops landed in Saint Domingue,  

meanwhile Toussaint was leading the Spanish in taking control over certain parts of the island. The radicals then take control of the state and of the revolution. The generals of the colony met in Port au Prince (the capital) and named Toussaint the lead commander. The radicals then initiate sweeping changes eliminating old institutions. Toussaint led an invasion into the Eastern part of Hispaniola and captured Santo Domingo, where he declared freedom for all slaves and put together a 10-member Central Assembly to issue a constitution. Toussaint's new constitution was promoted and led to him becoming Governor General for life. Moderates were then able to overthrow the radicals and reestablish a moderate regime. Dessalines - who had crowned himself as the emperor of Haiti - was killed by members of his administration who didn't agree with the way he ran things. Henri Christophe was put in charge in place of Dessalines. Moderates repress the more radical element and Christophe wrote up and implemented a new constitution. Moderates abandon many of the more radical reforms of the revolution and Christophe's new constitution got rid of some of the more radical ideals. Moderates return some of the privileges and policies of the old regime. Moderates lose touch with the majority of the population and eventually, Christophe's ruling methods took on those of a tyrant and he started having massive fortresses built (essentially using slave labor to do so). After Henri Christophe's reign, a succession of other similar rulers followed in his path.

The Haitian Revolution matches most of the criteria of Crane Brinton's Anatomy of Revolution written in 1938, and our own adaption of that, making it a true Revolution.