Larson, Drew A.

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Western Oregon University Digital Commons@WOU Student Theses, Papers and Projects (History) Department of History 3-7-2013 Failure, What Haiti Prepared For, or What They Were Dealt Drew A. Larson Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/his  Part of the Latin American History Commons, Military History Commons, and the Political History Commons Drew Larson3/71L3Hst 454Failure, What Haiti Prepared For, or What They Were DealtLFailure, What Haiti Prepared For, or What They Were DealtWhat defines success? What does it mean to win? What does it mean to lose? Theseare all things that are relative. For instances a fifty year old may be happy with running afive or six minute mile, but a collegiate runner will be disappointed with running five minutemile splits for a five orten kilometer race. The point of this is that it is all ones perspective.The fifty year old is out of his prime and may be out of shape, while the collegiate runner isnear his prime and eat, sleeps, and breaths running. With this said it might be a little harshto call the Haitian revolution a failure especially with the standards of the AmericanRevolution in mind. Also one may look at the circumstances in which the Haitian revolutionwas under in comparison to the American Revolution. This then brings up another question,did they prepare? John wooden, arguably one of the greatest collegiate basketball coachesever, said, "Failure to prepare is preparing to fail"l.The point of a revolution is to better the revolting group by either freedom in someform or to in place 'better' rules that the revolting group insists to enhance one's life. Theproblem with defining success in a revolution that is successful at overthrowing theiroppressor is that at least one goal, if not their main goal is achieved. So, is it a failure if thatis the only achievement? What about if the standard of living is less, or your country isextremely poor? This question is a tough one to decide, but one has to look at if therevolution bettered the country as a whole, not just one person. lt is easy to say that just2because all slaves were freed that it was a success, but we need to look past this. We needto look at economics, people's standard of living, and the progression in which people havebeen able to enhance their lives.St. Domingue, prior to august of L791,, was simply just a colony of the French. Thiswas not just any colony of France; it was their prized possession. lt was a 'gold mine' onlythe mine was a plantation, and the gold was sugar. After their start up the plantations werevirtually a money tree as their labor was free because it was slave labor. As a matter of factthe little island had over 430,000 slaves by 1789 and its white population was only around30,0002. lt is no wonder that this tiny colony produced much of Europe's demand for theiraddiction to sugar. Haiti was the most profitable colony during this time. As a matter of factthis new money was being funneled into France quicker than people could imagine. Thosewho had stock or some share in this cash crop became rich overnight if they played theircards right. This was a good deal for those who were not slaves or cheap labor who refinedthese products. This was also a good deal for the country of France, not just because it nowbrought in new taxable revenues that they could use to fund wars, or just to enhance thelives of their citizens. This was good because of how they viewed economics in their time.The thought at the time was on hoarding ones gold and silver. This was thought to maintainwealth, and then allow a country or person to control everything else. This is not in fact truethough, as Adam Smith states in The Wealth of Nations. "The wealth of the country consists,not in its gold and silver only, but in its lands, houses, and consumable goods of all differentkinds."3 ln saying this, the point is that there is more to ones wealth than just gold. This3naive French country was about to understand quickly as they were to lose both theirprecious sugar as well as their coveted colony.With everything going so good, how was this to happen? lt was hope, it was thethought of freedom, and most importantly it was the French revolution. With this mixtureand the plantation owners not preparing for a revolt, they prepared themselves to fail ifone were to occur. ln 1789 France went into frenzy when people were not happy.Theirbitterness was due to the economy, and their wellbeing. People were not being well fedand their appetite for food was not filled, so they became hungry for a change. Anythingthat could get them out of debt and living better lives with a higher standard of living wouldeasily fill their appetite. This is nothing new in history, as Buddhist monks believe thatnearly all wars are caused due to economics strife, which can be easily seen as follows"When one nation's army turns its guns on another, far from starting a war, they are theproducts of a war started long ago through economic exploitation."4. As one can see, theFrench people had had enough, and needed a change, so they revolted. Although theintentions were not to affect the island that we now call Haiti, it most certainly did. Likemost quarrels those who were educated did not agree on their motherlands internal clash.Some wanted the monarchy and stood true to it, while others wanted their freedom. Thiswas a precursor as the revolution created a declaration on august 26th in L7g8, only monthsafter the start of the revolt. This declaration was approved by the national assemble, butwas not good for business in Haiti or anywhere where there were slaves, that is if thecolony was forced to follow suit. This is because of the first two articles in the declaration.4The first is "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may befounded only upon the general good."s, which means that every person born thereafter isto be free. lf that wasn't enough the second states 'The aim of all political association is thepreservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty,property, security, and resistance to oppression."6thus freeing all slaves.The Haitian revolution was thus born, although ! was conceived two years prior, withthe French revolution, it was born none-the-less in 1791.lt was born to hope and hatred.This hope was seeded when news of the "Declaration of Rights of Man" reached the islandThis stirred up the island, mainly the mulattos, but the exploitation of slaves continued as ifthe declaration wasn't made. This baby that was due in LTSLbegan to kick in 1790 whenthe mulattos had a series of revolutions led by Vincent 0g6.'All they wanted was theirrights, which were granted to the French a year earlier, but the colonists denied themThese colonists forgot that there is power in numbers, and even the mulattos had nearlythe same population as the whites. These mini revolts echoed throughout the island, andwere heard on the sugar plantations. They did not stop there though, they inspired theslave population, and with one spark the revolution began.The slave revolt started in the north of the island, and worked its way down. Withinless than a year the revolution grew to over 100,000 strong, and they had taken revenge onover 4,000 whites. Their hatred fueled them, and their hope to be free drove them. ln aneffort to regain control France gave the mulattos that led them equality that they hadwanted. This seemed to slow down the revolution, but it was not over or even close to5stopping. The flame grew even larger when France declared war on Great Britain, and inretaliation the British as well as the Spanish began to fuel the revolution. They fueled it bygiving the revolutionaries everything from ammunition to food. The slaves themselvesdeclared Haiti a free colony, and in t794, it was followed up by Maximilien Robespierregranting freedom to everyone in France and her colonies. The British and Spanish forceshad many early successes as they aliened themselves with the slaves and mulattos whowere let by Toussaint L'Ouverture. Their success came to a halt then Toussaint switchedsides to the French in return for the slave's freedom, and thus led to both British andSpanish defeat. Toussaint was no fool, as he led many of the battles and is credited withdefeating many foes, but he too became power hungry and corrupt. He decided to keepcontrol of Haiti and thus France, who he was to give Haiti back to, invaded Haiti once more.Finally this area called Haiti was somewhat at rest, but that was not to last long. Toussaint,who was still in charge of Haiti, accepted an invitation to board a French ship. Uponboarding he was taken prisoner, and shipped to France, where he died in jail.Following Toussaint's disappearance Haiti was rode the waves that Europe and theUnited States left in their wake. They tried to cope and fight for better policies to favorthem, but the revolution left its mark. As of late the estimations of the slave revolt causedover 350,000 Haitian death and approximately 50,000 European soldiers deaths. Althoughthe slaves got their freedom it cost Haiti its economy. Haiti went from being second to onlyGreat Britain in exports to the United States to 45th of 50 companies that trade in theUnited Statess. This was of course after the fifty years that the United States embargoed6Haiti. The revolution is still affecting Haiti; as they are still considered a third world countryand many countries still do not take them seriously. This can been seen in many differentfigured. Fore example Haiti's average GDP (gross domestic product) for the years 1990through 2010 was -1-.1 percent and their average inflation was L5 percent during thosesame years'. This may not mean anything to some people, but to put those facts intoperspective the average inflation in the United States per year is approximately 3 percent.Not only is that astounding, but also is their poverty line, which is at 55 percent of peoplewho do not make a dollar and twenty-five cents a dayto, this does not even compare to thefigures held by the United States.So the question is still there, was the revolution a success or a failure? The answer isin fact, not a success, but a failure. They may have succeeded in gaining their independence,and the abolishment of slavery, along with their freedom, but in the end they were giventhe short end of the stick. Although they were worse off with slavery, as it was one of themost brutal places to be a slave with its birth rate below its death rate, as a whole they areworse off. Their economy is in the ground and they traded one slave owner for another.There were many factors that led to this, mistakes that if made could have helped them.First off they killed most of the whites on the island in revenge. The problem with this isthat the whites were respected, and blacks weren't. This was seen when Toussaint said"General Washington Ceased to view our republic with fair eyes"lt. This was the feeling ofnearly the whole world except maybe Thomas Jefferson who said:7It is indeed an animating thought that, while we are securing our rights ourselvesand our prosperity, we are pointing out the was to struggling nations who wish, likeus, to emerge from their tyrannies also...Heaven help their struggle, and lead them,as it us, triumphantly through them.12He in fact wanted to help, but as a slave owner he was hesitant to help because he did notwant this fever to spread and ruin his fortune. The Haitians also, in their rage, burned downtheir cash crops, and thus destroyed their economy in the long run. Granted their leaderscould not control this rage as it was that of a gigantic mad mob, but non-the-less ithappened. Then to add to the mess they really did not have an example to follow, as everyother prosperous nation near was more versatile. Their big problem was that neither theUnited States nor many countries in Europe accepted Haiti as a country, even after it hadwon its independence. This was because the French did not, and the French were notwilling to let go of Haiti. Then, in an effort to officially be free, Haiti obliged to the Frenchdemand for repayment. This payment was 150 million gold franks to be paid in five yearsl3This crippled their country and they have not been able to dig themselves out of the holethey accepted.Each one of these points set out above may make it look like Haiti is not at fault, butthat is the microanalysis. When looking at the macro analysis one can see that Haiti broughtit on themselves with their choices. For example, they could have not become slaves toFrance with debt. Also Haiti has not returned to producing the products in which they havea competitive advantage. Also they need to drop their tariffs, as it had been found that8"Countries that have restricted foreign trade and investment may have avoided foreignexploitation, but remained desperately poor nonetheless"la. And they need not worryabout getting large gains, but rather trade as Adam Smith states 'The importation of goldand silver is not the principal, much less than the sole benefit which a nation derives fromits foreign trade"ls. The problem during the early 1800's was that the "relationship betweenJefferson's purchase of the Louisiana territory from Napoleon in L803 and the ongoingattempt by North American historiography to suppress awareness of Haiti following itsindependence and abolition of slavery in L8O4"16, but this was not to be blamed completelyon the United States. This is because Haitidid not make itself large enough forthe UnitedStates to recognize them. They did not work hard enough to be seen.Haiti can blame anyone they would like for their struggles. As a matter of fact theyare trying to get the 150 million gold franks equivalent back that they paid the French. Theproblem is that everyone has struggles. There were once two identical twin brothers andtheir father was an alcoholic, and they had no mother. When they grew up one became asuccessful businessman, and the other followed in his father's footsteps, and was analcoholic. They were both asked why they turned out the way they did, and the alcoholictwin answered 'what do you expect with a father like mine'. Yet when the Successful twinwas asked the same question he answered 'what do you expect with a father like mine'.The moral of the story is that it doesn't matter what you did in the past, or what setbacksyou have incurred; it is what you make of each situation. The question is not whether or notthe revolution is a failure, because it was, it is will Haiti grow up to be a successful9businessman. The only alternate is to dwell on their failures and become a failure like theirfathers10End NoteslElizabeth Holms, The Newly Qualified Tescher's Hqndbook,ILondon: clays Ltd, 2003), 39.2f ason Daniels, MARR}NAGE lN SAINT DOMINGUE: APPROACHINGTHE REVOLIITI0N, L770-1791. Imaster\., University of Florida,2008),http : / lwww.google.c om /url?sa=t&rct= j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd= 7 &ved= 0 C FI QFjAG&url= http : / / ufdcimages,uflib.ufl.edu/UF / E0 / 02 / 25 / 59 I 0 0 0 0 L / daniels-j. p d f&ei = 9 B s4UZn 7 DY uO rQGo n4C o Bw&usg=AFQiCNFLLzZXYq5-n-t0Wr3 QmRmEWQUncA&bvm=bv.4 3287 49 4,d.aWM.s Adam Smith, An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of notions, (New York:P.F. Collier & Son, 7909-1.4).aPhadet Dattajeevo. Urban Dharma, "Buddhist Economics." Last modified 2008.Accessed March 3,20L3. http://www.urbandharma.org/udharmaS/buddhisteco.htmls National Assembly of France, "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen." Lastmodified 2012.Accessed February 22, 2013.http ://www.constitution.org/fr/fr drm.htm.o National Assembly of France, "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen." Lastmodified 20L2.Accessed February 22, 2073.http :l/wr,yw.constitution.org/fr/fr drm.htm.7 fason C. Bromley, Resistance and The Haitian Revolution,http://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/san domingo revolution/individual essayfiason.html. f]anuary 2010)8 Gordon Brown, Toussoint's CIause: The Founding Fathers And TheHaittan Revolution, IOxford: University of Mississippi, 2005).e UNICEF, "Haitian Statistics." Last modified 2003. Accessed February 22,2073http : //www.unicef.o rg/infobyc ountry/haiti-statistics.html.LL10UNICEF, "Haitian Statistics." Last modified 2003. Accessed February 22,20L3htp: / / www.unicef.org/infobycountry/haiti-statistics.html.11 Gordon Brown, Toussqint's CIause: The Founding Fathers And TheHaitian Revolution, (Oxford: University of Mississippi, 2005J.l2Gordon Brown, Toussaint's Clause: The Founding Fathers And TheHaitian Revolution, (Oxford: University of Mississippi, 2005J.t:fohn Protevi, "Hatian timeline." (unpublished lecture., LSU, 2005J,http: / /http ; / / www.go ogle. c om /url?sa=t&rct= j &q= &esrc= s&source =web&cd = 7 & v e d = 0 C F I Q F j A G & u r I = h t t p o/o3 Ao/oZF o/o 2 F u f d c i m a g e s . u f I i b . u f L e d u0/oZFUFo/o2FE0o/oZF\Zo/oZFT\o/oZF59o/o2F0000to/o?Fdaniels-j.pdf&ei=9B s 4 U Zn7 DY u O r Q G o n 4 C o B w& u s I = A F Qj C N F LLzZXY q5 - n -t0 Wr3 Qm Rm EWQU n cA&b vm = bv .43287 49 4,d. aWM .1a Douglas lrwin, Free trade under Fire, (Oxford: Princeton university, 2009J.lsAdam Smith, An inqutry into the nqture and causes of the wealth of nations, (New York:P.F. Collier & Son, 1909-L4).l6Martin Munro, Echoes of the Haitian revolution, 1804-2004, (Oxford: Oxford Publishighouse, 2008).L2Work CitedBromley, Jason. Miami library, " Resistance and The Haitian Revolution." Last modified January 10,2010. Accessed March 1,,2013.http://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/san domingo revolution/individual essMason.html.Brown, Gordon. Toussaint's Clause: The Founding Fathers AndThe Haitian Revolution. Oxford:University of Mississippi, 2005.Daniels, Jason. MARRONAGE IN SAINT DOMINGUE: APPROACHING THE REVOLUTION, 1770-1791. master\., University of Florida, 2008.http://www.google.com/ur1?sa=t&rcti&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=OCFIQFjAG&url=http://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edtr/UF/E0l02l25l5910000lidanielsj.pdf&ei=9Bs4UZnTDYuOrQGon4CoB w&usB=AFQj CNF ILzZXY q5 -n-t0Wr3QmRmEWQUncA&bvm=bv .43287 49 4 d. aWM.Dattajeevo, Phadet. Urban Dharma, "Buddhist Economics." Last modified 2008. Accessed March 3,2013.http ://www.urbandharma. org/udharma5/buddhisteco.htmlHolms, Elizabeth. The Newly QualifiedTeacher's Handbook. London: clays Ltd,2003hwin, Douglas. Free trade under Fire. Oxford: Princeton university, 2009Munro, Martin. Echoes of the Haitian revolution, 1804-2004. Oxford: Oxford Publishing house, 2008.National Assembly of France, "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen." Last modified20l2.Accessed February 22, 2013. http://www.constitution.org/frlfr-drm.htm.Protevi, John. "Hatian timeline." lecture., LSU,2005. httpflhttp://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q-&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CFIQFjAG&url=http%o3A%o2F%o2Fufdcimages.uflib.uf\.eda7o2FWVo2FE0Vo2FO27o2F25Vo2F59Vo2F0000l7o2Fdanielsj.pdf& ei=98 s4UZnl DYuOrQGon4CoBw&usg=AFQj CNF ILzZXY q5 -n-t0Wr3 QmRmEWQUncA&bvm=bv .43287 494 d.aWM.13Smith, Adam. An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations. New York P.F. Collier &Son, 1909-14. Print.UNICEF, "Haitian Statistics." Last modified 2003. Accessed February 22,2013.http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/haiti-statistics.html.L4

Failure, What Haiti Prepared For, or What They Were Dealt

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Failure, What Haiti Prepared For, or What They Were Dealt

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