Why Was The Haitian Revolution Successful

Throughout all of history, as early as records show, only one slave revolt was successful; the Haitian Revolution. This rebellion was unique and complex, which is why it was so auspicious. The Haitian revolution was so successful because of the large ratio of slaves to white men, the experience slaves had with rebellions, the preoccupation France had with its homeland and, the slaves finally had allies to revolt with.
Imagine being worked close to death every day in the blistering heat, waiting your entire life for the one day you can pay off your debt and be a free man. The fact of the matter is, you are not actually free, you are constantly being judged, and although you own property you will never have the same rights as a white man. (Patricia Harms, Pg.1) These harsh truths made free African slaves absolutely …show more content…
However, when the Haitian revolution took place, the freed slaves wanted genuine freedom and did not stand for the inequality and severe racism shown towards them, forcing them to join this revolution. After the Oge revolution (1790), which also was an unsuccessful rebellion, some of Oge and Chavannes’ forces were severely beaten, many of their force of 300 escaped into St. Domingue, however the Spanish arrested them and turned them over to the whites in Cape Francois (Laurent Dubois, Pg. 294). In 1791, the captured soldiers were hanged and the leaders Oge and Chavannes were tortured to death in a public square. The reasoning for the barbaric punishments of Oge and Chavannes were to send a message to any colored people who would dare to fight back. The message that ending up being sent out was far different than what The French meant. This message paved the way for a new, more successful Revolution because of the divisions between the planters, the petit blancs, freed people of color, and the