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Year 8

Napoleon and the re-establishment of slavery

I can explain Napoleon's role in the Haitian Revolution and his attempts to re-establish slavery.

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New
New
Year 8

Napoleon and the re-establishment of slavery

I can explain Napoleon's role in the Haitian Revolution and his attempts to re-establish slavery.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In 1801, Saint-Domingue's governor L'Ouverture issued a new constitution demanding their total independence from France.
  2. Napoleon Bonaparte, having seized power in France, wanted to re-establish French control over Saint-Domingue.
  3. French troops betrayed a truce and captured L'Ouverture, reinstating slavery wherever they had control on the island.
  4. The fight continued and, with the help of Napoleon's Polish troops who switched sides, the rebels drove the French out.
  5. 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

Make sure students understand that the story goes beyond Toussaint L'Ouverture. His capture and deportation to France in 1802 acted as a catalyst for the rebels in Saint-Domingue to continue to fight on and eventually achieve independence in 1804.
Teacher tip

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).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which word describes the group in a society who are at the top of the social hierarchy with power and authority?
Correct Answer: elites, Elites, elite, Elite, the elites
Q2.
Which of the below did Toussaint L’Ouverture not attempt to do during his time as the official French governor of Saint-Domingue?
re-stabilise the economy
Correct answer: reinstate enslavement
meet with foreign leaders
restart agricultural production
maintain economic and political ties with France
Q3.
Britain was worried about slave revolts spreading around the Caribbean. Which two territories were they worried about in particular?
Correct answer: Jamaica
France
Hong Kong
India
Correct answer: Barbados
Q4.
Match the key features of the Haitian Revolution with the correct descriptions.
Correct Answer:governor,the title given to Toussaint L’Ouverture after the revolt

the title given to Toussaint L’Ouverture after the revolt

Correct Answer:emancipation,enslaved people gaining their freedom

enslaved people gaining their freedom

Correct Answer:Saint-Domingue,French colony on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean

French colony on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean

Correct Answer:grands blancs,the French elites who rules Saint-Domingue

the French elites who rules Saint-Domingue

Correct Answer:Santo Domingo,Spanish colony on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean

Spanish colony on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean

Correct Answer:abolition,the outlawing of enslavement by a government

the outlawing of enslavement by a government

Q5.
Which method of warfare did L’Ouverture’s troops use?
Correct answer: ‘hit and run’ guerilla warfare
open warfare on flat terrain
naval warfare fighting at sea
air warfare using planes
Q6.
Complete the following sentence: Saint-Domingue was France's most profitable colony in the ...
Correct Answer: Caribbean, Carribbean, Caribean, Carribean, caribbean

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What did Toussaint L’Ouverture do when he learned of Napoleon’s plan to reinstate slavery in 1802?
He became an enemy of Napoleon and declared independence for Haiti.
He declared a new slavery law for Saint-Domingue.
Correct answer: He declared a new constitution for Saint-Domingue and prepared for independence.
Q2.
Put the below events in chronological order, starting with the earliest.
1 - Napoleon reinstated slavery across the French Empire.
2 - French troops under the command of Charles Leclerc were sent to Saint-Domingue.
3 - Leclerc won some initial victories and captured part of the colony.
4 - L'Ouverture was betrayed, captured and imprisoned in Fort de Joux in France.
Q3.
What nationality were the portion of Leclerc's troops who switched sides to fight for the rebels against France?
Correct Answer: Polish, polish, Poland, poland
Q4.
Jean-Jacques Dessalines carried on the fight for the rebels after the capture of Toussaint L'Ouverture. Which one of the statements below is accurate?
Correct answer: Napoleon withdrew in late 1803 and Saint-Domingue became independent in 1804.
Napoleon withdrew in late 1813 and Saint-Domingue became independent in 1814.
Napoleon withdrew in late 1823 and Saint-Domingue became independent in 1824.
Q5.
Complete the following sentence: Saint-Domingue had been France's most profitable colony in the during the 18th century.
Far East
Southern Hemisphere
European Peninsula
Correct answer: Caribbean
Middle East
Q6.
What was the name of the key lieutenant who took over from Toussaint L'Ouverture when he was captured by the French?
Jean-Jacques Desailly
Correct answer: Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Jean-Jacques Deseray

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