In the late 1700s and early 1800s, revolutionary spirit was everywhere. The world was shocked at the success of the American Revolution, in which the oppressed colonies gained independence from Britain. This success, along with several other causes, motivated the oppressed lower class of France to have their own revolution. Shortly after the French Revolution, Haiti, a French colony, was inspired by the same ideals and had one of their own. The French Revolution and the Haitian Revolution are very similar in the ideals that drove them, the way they were carried out, and the things they achieved both through the revolutions themselves and their legacies today. In June of 1789, Louis XVI, King of France, summoned the Estates General for the
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In 1789, there were 452,000 black slaves compared to between 60,000 to 80,000 whites and free people of color in Haiti (Hogan). The slaves vastly outnumbered their masters, yet were treated terribly. Slaves were regularly tortured and killed, and food was insufficient. If a slave was caught eating crops in the fields, they had a muzzle put on. After the French Revolution, slaves were worried that the French colonists would use their new liberties to treat the slaves even worse than they already were. They believed that the Enlightenment ideals of liberty and equality applied to them too, as they were also people. This desire for freedom and equal treatment drove the …show more content…
The winds of change carried the ideas of liberty and equality for everyone, from Europe across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. Though the Haitian Revolution was partially inspired by the French, it had enough of its own distinctions to create its own legacy. The ideals that drove these two revolutions are still sought today. While the objective of both revolutions was to create a better society, both turned to violent means to enforce their ideals and were not very successful. However, both the French and Haitian Revolutions showed the rest of the world that the lowly commoners can take control and strive to achieve liberty for
In 1789, there were 452,000 black slaves compared to between 60,000 to 80,000 whites and free people of color in Haiti (Hogan). The slaves vastly outnumbered their masters, yet were treated terribly. Slaves were regularly tortured and killed, and food was insufficient. If a slave was caught eating crops in the fields, they had a muzzle put on. After the French Revolution, slaves were worried that the French colonists would use their new liberties to treat the slaves even worse than they already were. They believed that the Enlightenment ideals of liberty and equality applied to them too, as they were also people. This desire for freedom and equal treatment drove the …show more content…
The winds of change carried the ideas of liberty and equality for everyone, from Europe across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. Though the Haitian Revolution was partially inspired by the French, it had enough of its own distinctions to create its own legacy. The ideals that drove these two revolutions are still sought today. While the objective of both revolutions was to create a better society, both turned to violent means to enforce their ideals and were not very successful. However, both the French and Haitian Revolutions showed the rest of the world that the lowly commoners can take control and strive to achieve liberty for