Napoleon and the re-establishment of slavery
I can explain Napoleon's role in the Haitian Revolution and his attempts to re-establish slavery.
Napoleon and the re-establishment of slavery
I can explain Napoleon's role in the Haitian Revolution and his attempts to re-establish slavery.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- In 1801, Saint-Domingue's governor L'Ouverture issued a new constitution demanding their total independence from France.
- Napoleon Bonaparte, having seized power in France, wanted to re-establish French control over Saint-Domingue.
- French troops betrayed a truce and captured L'Ouverture, reinstating slavery wherever they had control on the island.
- The fight continued and, with the help of Napoleon's Polish troops who switched sides, the rebels drove the French out.
- In 1804, Saint-Domingue was proclaimed a free country and renamed Haiti.
Common misconception
Sait-Domingue was independent from France under Toussaint L'Ouverture's leadership
Toussaint L'Ouverture was technically the French Governor of Saint-Domingue due to his leadership during the slave uprising there during the 1790s. His attempt to establish the colony as a free country though in 1801 was a step too far for Napoleon.
Keywords
Elites - the group of people at the top of the social hierarchy with power and authority
Galvanised - the strengthening of a person’s determination
Lieutenants - the people that support the leader or general of an army
Grands blancs - the elites of French origin in the colony of Saint-Domingue, home of the Haitian Revolution
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of serious crime
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
the title given to Toussaint L’Ouverture after the revolt
enslaved people gaining their freedom
French colony on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean
the French elites who rules Saint-Domingue
Spanish colony on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean
the outlawing of enslavement by a government