How Did The French Revolution Affect The Haitian Revolution
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In the late eighteenth century, revolts against those in power were beginning to create successful outcomes for those seeking change in political, social, or economic institutions. During the age of absolutism and before, the main body of each nation rarely had any power or voice when it came to inciting change. In Haiti in the late eighteenth century, slaves successfully rebelled against their owners and their nations’ leaders in order to establish equality for all. In Avengers of the New World by Laurent Dubois, ideas arising out of the French Revolution involving societal conflicts, Enlightened thought, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man affected the Haiti Revolution, and challenged the relationship between slaves and plantation owners.…show more content… Those considered Englightened were called philosophes, and they believed that all humans were born equal and should remain that way regardless of race, religion, or social status. This greatly affected the Haitian Revolution, as Haiti was a country with diversity in race, religion, and was a country with a visible dichotomy between social statuses. One of the more Enlightened leaders of the Haitian Revolution was Toussaint Louverture. Louverture was considered Enlightened due to his knowledge of European Imperialism, as well as his dislike towards absolutism. Louverture also protested the Declaration of the Rights of Man, which although expressed liberty and freedom, still considered slaves as property. Louverture considered only a few to be truly Englightened, and the rest were “ignorant masses” (Dubois 201). In order to successfully revolt against the whites, Louverture had to bridge the gap between those considered Enlightened and those considered ignorant by combining Haitian language with Western Enlightened Thought to create balance and peace between freed slaves and plantation owners. Enlightened Thought challenged the relationship between slaves and plantation owners as its innovative ideals were different from Haitian traditions, but Louverture’s ability to create a balance between the two sides allowed for longer lasting