Haitian Revolution

A revolution is a forcible overthrow of a government or social order for a new system.

One of the most important revolution is the American Revolution. The American

Revolution was led by the "Sons of Liberty". They were the most prominent men of

Boston. Eventually, farmers and merchants joined the revolution as well. All these men

and women wanted political change. They wanted freedom from England. The

Americans wanted to fight for equality and liberty.

Another great revolutions that has happened was the Haitian Revolution. At the

time Haiti was known as Saint-Domingue and was under the rule of the French. Saint-

Domingue at the time was the richest colony in the West Indies. It produced sugar,

coffee, cocoa, indigo, and tobacco. Their production was "driven by slave labor and

enabled by fertile soil and ideal climate". Saint-Domingue had a ten to one ratio. Ten

being slaves and one being free people. The slaves of Saint-Domingue had to suffer

more cruel conditions than the North American slaves. Simply because of the more

harsh labors of being on a coffee sugar plantation.

The slaves desperately wanted freedom. In August 1791, more than one

hundred thousand slaves revolted against the french. Their main reason to participate

in this revolution was not just for liberty, but for revenge as well. They wanted

revenge for having to go through the enduring pain of being a slave. During the

months of the revolution, the slaves would torch many sugar and coffee plantations.

They would also kill the slave owners. Two years later, the slaves were successful in

gaining their freedom. " The convention abolished slavery throughout its Caribbean

colonies and in 1795 granted former slaves full political rights. (pg 626).

The American Revolution and Haitian Revolution was a bit similar. The slaves of

Haiti wanted freedom just like the Americans. However, the slaves of Haiti wanted