Saint Domingue or the History of its Revolutions
Saint Domingue or the History of its revolutions, including: the dreadful stories of the divisions, the troubles, the ravages, the murders, the fires, the devastations, and the massacres that took place on this island from 1789 to the loss of the colony was written in 1819, fifteen years after the independence of Haiti was established. It details the events of the revolution on the Haitian, French, English, and Spanish sides. This work documents complex the twists and turns of the revolution, it does not do this through a strictly objective lens. As previously discussed, the Haitian revolution, especially in the sense as a revolution for black equality and not a revolt of black slaves, is often silenced or ignored. This work propagates that biased perspective.
Though the revolution progressed through the burning of plantations and killing of both whites and blacks, the title portrays these actions in an extremely negative sense. By using charged words such as “devastations”, “massacres”, “ravages”, and “dreadful”, the author, who is anonymous, primes the reader to see the subsequent account as a tragedy or an act of evil instead of its reality: a fight for freedom. One sees this biased view through the portrayal of Jeannot, a slave in the passage featured below, as an inhumane killer. His “ferocity” and “almost savageness” paints him in a monstrous light. While it is possible that Jeannot was violent, these actions in both cases are solely the result of years of suffocating oppression. One could easily describe the actions of those involved in the slave field in the same way.
This passage is featured towards the beginning of the text. This work describes the revolution chronologically. The revolution, as the author describes earlier, started in the Cap, the capital of Saint Domingue. It starts with small but unified uprisings at several plantations around the Cap. The author then describes the measures taken by two groups that both oppose increased rights for the slaves: white and mulattos. Both groups hope to gain more power for themselves. Some of the strategies implemented, including an agreement between whites and mulattos, are described in the following passage.
Translated and introduced by Morgan Cornacchini
Translation:
[…]After having demanded of M. de Blanchelande[1], the governor of Saint-Domingue, to give his attention to the security of the village, he stopped the formation of three regiments of the paid guard, established a provost commission that increased the excise duty, and did many other rules which did not save the public.
Meanwhile, in the middle of all these deliberations, the ravages and the burning of plantations still were taking place. The fury of the brigands slowed despite a time after the burning of the Morin and Limonade neighborhoods[2], but it was only to increase and to strengthen. All the efforts one did to opposed the rebellious slaves only helped harden them. To avenge their losses, they killed white prisoners et set fire buildings that were still plantations. For that matter, one could not have definite successes because they always had the resource of fleeing to the mountains.
A slave called Jeannot highlighted this time by his cruelty and his ferocity. Chased from the Bullet plantation where he was confined with his troop. He pillaged in all the places where he fled. The blood of blacks was not spared and he slit the throats of 60 white prisoners by himself. A habitant of la Grande Rivière was also massacred with his eight children. A black who was his parent and friend et became his carriage for not waiting for his orders to unharness the horses was killed by a gunshot calmly by this monster.
The colonial assembly3 had sent to Jamacia two commissioners[3] to obtain help. This help came down to a vessel with 50 cannons who established its route on the west coast and three English frigates who came wet to Cap having aboard 500 rifles and several war ammunitions and muzzles. Two regiment had been in proximity and were not sent. The English were more interested in the loss of our colonies than sending us real help.
This same assembly having made its advances toward the president of Saint Domingue. The Spanish, who also well situated like the English made on the commissioners an equal response which was not allowed to be taken on them.
In this position critical of the colonial assembly, the fires of the revolt who have appeared to have calmed, reignited. The black restarted their attacks. The fierce Jeannot pursuing the courts of his horrible successes successfully invaded the Dondon parish[4] and the Sans-Souci quarter4 where he burned the houses and massacred their inhabitants
To the west and the south, the mulattos, still gathered and had arms there, threatened to carry to the end. The division that existed between the government agents and the colonial assembly, between the colonists and the friends of mulattos, opposed each other on what precautions on should take against the flood [of violence] which was ready to overflow. It was necessary therefore to employ means of reconciliation, and an agreement that was signed by a group of mulattos at Crois-des-Bouquets with many towns; an agreement favorable to men of color and humiliating to the white class; an agreement who was ratified the same with conditions again more advantageous by the assembly of Port-au-Price. The equality between the two groups was the basis and the dissolution of the colonial assembly was the first condition. This treaty[5] was finalized September 7th, 1791.
One must not hide that the decrees of the constitutional assembly and the ones of the legislative assembly relative to Saint Domingue and suffered after the spirit of different parties that divided this assembly, absolutely ignored at this time the true state of Saint Domingue, contributed a lot to maintain the fire of the revolts and to the divide the colonists over their own interests.
The calm reestablished for a moment by the agreement to pass at Port-au-Prince, shows again the ill will between the colonial assembly and the government. M. de Blanchelande who was not stubborn enough to resist the ambitions of the assembly and the ones of factions who only look to spread the trouble and division. Additionally, his military dispositions were not done to benefit his public image et his drive in the attack of Galiffet camps6 and of Agout6 seemed to therefore say, proving that he listed to the negro to burn the plantations belonging to whites.
It seemed that a spirit of giddiness had turned all heads. The colonial assembly held an extraordinary session where the exaggeration of demagogic principles and the deaf were lead from the triumphant plot of the wise advice of prudence and good faith.
[…]
Original:
[…]Après avoir exigé de M. de Blanchelande, gouverneur de Saint-Domingue, de donner tous ses soins à la sûreté de la ville, on arrêta la formation de trois régiments de la garde soldée. On établit une commission prévôtale qu’on augmenta les droits d'octroi et on fit plusieurs autres règlements, qui ne sauvèrent point la chose publique.
Cependant, au milieu de toutes ces délibérations, les ravages et les incendies des habitations avaient toujours lieu. La fureur des brigands se ralentit néanmoins un instant après l'incendie du quartier Morin et de Limonade, mais ce ne fut que pour s'accroître et prendre de nouvelles forces. Tous les efforts qu'on opposait aux révoltés, n'avaient contribué' qu'à les aguerrir. Pour venger leurs pertes, ils massacraient les blancs prisonniers, et incendiaient les bâtiments encore existants sur les habitations. D'ailleurs on ne pouvait obtenir de succès décisifs, parce qu'ils avaient toujours la ressource de 1a fuite dans les montagnes.
Un nègre nomme Jeannot, se signala à cette époque par sa cruauté' et sa férocité. Chassé de l'habitation Bullet où il s'était cantonné avec sa troupe, il mit à feu et; sang tous les endroits par où il fuyait. Le sang même des nègres ne fut point épargne, et il égorgea de sa propre main 60 prisonniers blancs. Un habitant de la Grande Rivière fut aussi massacre avec ses huit enfants. Un négre qui était son parent et son ami, et devenu son postillon, pour n'avoir pas attendu ses ordres pour dételer des chevaux, fut tuer d'un coup de pistolet par ce monstre avec le plus grand calme.
L'assemblée coloniale avait envoyé à la Jamaïque deux commissaires pour obtenir des secours. Ces secours se réduisirent à un vaisseau de 50 canons, qui établit sa croisière sur la côte de l'ouest, et à trois frégates anglaises qui vinrent mouiller au Cap, ayant à bord 500 fusils et quelques munitions de guerre et de bouche. Deux régiments avaient être promis, et ne furent
point envoyés. Les Anglais étaient trop intéressés à la perte de nos colonies, pour nous donner des secours réels.
Cette même assemblée avait fait des démarches auprès du président de Saint Domingue. Les Espagnols, qui étaient aussi bien disposés que les Anglais, firent aux commissaires une réponse équivoque, qui ne permit pas de compter sur eux.
Dans cette position critique de l'assemblée coloniale, le feu de la révolte qui avait paru s'assoupir, se ralluma de nouveau. Les nègres recommencèrent leurs excursions. Le féroce Jennnot, poursui-
vant le cours de ses horribles succès, envahit successivement la paroisse du Dondon et le quartier de Sans-Souci, où il fit brûler les habitations et massacrer les habitants.
A l'ouest et au sud, les mulâtres, toujours rassembles et eu armes y menaçaient de se porter aux dernières extrémités. La division qui existait entre les gens du gouvernement et l'assemblée coloniale, entre les colons et les amis des mulâtres, s'opposa à ce qu'on pût prendre des précautions contre le torrent prêt à se déborder. Il fallut donc recourir aux voies de conciliation, et un concordat fut signé par les mulâtres, d’une part, à la Crois des-Bouquets avec plusieurs communes : concordat favorable aux hommes de couleur et humiliant pour la classe blanche et concordat qui fut ratifié même avec des conditions encore plus avantageuses, par l'assemblée du Port-au- Prince. L'égalité entre les deux castes en faisait la base, et la dissolution de l’assemblée coloniale en était la première condition. Ce traité fut conclu le 7 septembre 1791.
On ne doit pas dissimuler que les décrets de l'assemblée constituante et ceux
de l'assemblée législative relatifs à Saint- Domingue, et ressentis d'après l'esprit des différent partis qui divisant ces assemblées, ignoraient absolument à cette époque le véritable élu« de Saint Domingue, contribuèrent beaucoup à y entretenir le feu de la révolte, et à diviser les colons sur leurs propres intérêts.
Le calme un moment rétabli par le concordat passer au Port-au-Prince, accrut encore la mésintelligence entre l'assemblée coloniale et le gouvernement. M. de Blanchelande n'avait point la tête assez forte pour résister aux prétentions de l'assemblée, et aux celles des factieux qui ne cherchent rien qu'à semer le trouble et la division. En outre, ses dispositions milliaires n'étaient pas faites pour lui mériter la confiance publique, et sa conduite dans l'attaque des camps Galiffet et d'Agout sembla, pour ainsi dire, prouver qu'il s'entendait avec les nègres, pour brûler les habitations appartenant à des blancs.
Il semblait qu'un esprit de vertige avait tourné toutes les têtes. L'assemblée coloniale tint une séance extraordinaire, où l'exagération des principes démagogiques, et les sourdes menées de l'intrigue triomphèrent des sages conseils de la prudence et de la bonne foi.
[…]
[1] M. de Blanchelande was the last royal governor of Saint Domingue. For more information about his role in the revolution, see: Popkin, Jeremy D. “The French Revolution’s Royal Governor: General Blanchelande and Saint Domingue, 1790–92.” William and Mary Quarterly 71, no. 2 (2014): 203–28.
[2] Morin and Limonade are both communes of the Cap, the capital of Haiti which is located in the north of Haiti (“Limonade.” Haiti (blog), n.d.http://haiti.wikia.com/wiki/Limonade.)
[3] The colonial assembly was a group of white colonists who made up the government in Saint Domingue. It was formed in opposition to France giving blacks and mulattos more rights. Commissioners were representatives from the National Assembly in France who have been sent to Saint Domingue (“The French Revolution Begins 1788-1790.” History of Haiti 1492-1805 (blog), n.d.)
[4] The Sans Souci and Dondon quartiers are also located in the north of Haiti near the Cap. Sans Souci contains the Palace of Sans Souci, the residence of King Henri Christophe, who reigned as King in Haiti after the revolution (“History and Demographics.” Haitian Vision Foundation (blog), n.d.; “Palace of Sans Souci.” World Monuments Fund (blog), 2012.). The purpose of this treaty was to “enforce the decree of May 15th” which gave citizenship to mulattos and free blacks. Ghachem, Malick W. The Old Regime and the Haitian Revolution. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012) 247.
[5] Gallifet was originally one of largest production centers for sugar and labelled as a “centerpiece of the sugar economy.” DuBois, Laurent. Avengers of the New World. (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2004) 92. This place of enslavement rapidly changed into a place of empowerment when it became a camp for slave armies during the revolution.
