Let us ensure, however, that a missionary spirit does not destroy our work; let us allow our neighbors to breathe in peace; may they live quietly under the laws that they have made for themselves, and let us not, as revolutionary firebrands, declare ourselves the lawgivers of the Caribbean, nor let our glory consist in troubling the peace of the neighboring islands. However, the Legislative Assembly in France granted rights to the free people of colour, in addition to dispatching 6,000 French soldiers to the island. As a result, the new nation under Dessalines came to be known as the ltat dHati (The State of Haiti), rather than the Haitian Republic. Jean-Jacques Dessalines issued the Haitian Declaration of Independence on January 1, 1804 in the harbor city of Gonaves, bringing an end to the 13-year-long Haitian Revolution. Equal rights hence the Haitian Declaration of Independence in 104. Swear, finally, to pursue forever the traitors and enemies of your independence. Madiou, Thomas. This was only the second time, after the United States in 1776, that an American colony had declared independence, so the event called for pomp and circumstance. With over twenty constitutions since 1801, Haiti offers . the Acte de l'Indpendance (Declaration of Independence) a proclamation by the General in Chief, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, to the people of "Hayti," and the nomination of Dessalines as the Governor-General of Haiti. And you, a people so long without good fortune, witness to the oath we take, remember that I counted on your constancy and courage when I threw myself into the career of liberty to fight the despotism and tyranny you had struggled against for 14 years. In 1839 who led the mutiny of 53 enslaved people on the Spanish slave ship Amistad? Be the first to contribute! Jean-Jacques Dessalines (Haitian Creole: Janjak Desalin) (20 September 1758 - 17 October 1806) was a leader of the Haitian Revolution. This is why . [8] As a result, a complete secession from France was not undertaken at the time, and only came into effect after slavery was brought back. "Navigating Haiti's History: Saint-Domingue and the Haitian Revolution", Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de Rochambeau, Philibert Franois Rouxel de Blanchelande, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Haitian_Declaration_of_Independence&oldid=1116636066, Articles with dead external links from January 2020, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Modern Declarations to Secede from the Union, Links to Declarations Issued on Blogs and other Social Media, Precursors to the 1776 Declaration of Independence, Essays and Commentaries on the July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence. If ever you refused or grumbled while receiving those laws that the spirit guarding your fate dictates to me for your own good, you would deserve the fate of an ungrateful people. Before consolidating it with laws that will guarantee your free individuality, your leaders, who I have assembled here, and I, owe you the final proof of our devotion. He is the author of many books and articles on the history of Haiti, including the upcoming French- and English-language The Memoir of Touissant Louverture. Against this background arose a revolution, beginning as a series of conflicts from the early 1790s. Before consolidating it with laws that will guarantee your free individuality, your leaders, who I have assembled here, and I, owe you the final proof of our devotion. They are not our brothers, and never will be.. It was, however, complex, involving several countries and groups. They feared and spurned the slave majority but were generally discriminated against by the white European colonists, who were merchants, landowners, overseers, craftsmen, and the like. A product of the only successful slave revolution in history, Haiti's Declaration of Independence in 1804 stands at a major turning point in the trajectory of social, economic, and . It is not enough to have expelled the barbarians who have bloodied our land for two centuries; it is not enough to have restrained those ever-evolving factions that one after another mocked the specter of liberty that France dangled before you. The Haitian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on January 1, 1804 in the port city of Gonaives by Jean Jacques Dessalines marking the end of the 13-year long Haitian Revolution. Test your knowledge. This was only the second time, after the United States in 1776, that an American colony had declared independence, so the event called for pomp and circumstance. 5 (2015): 23550. Peace to our neighbors; but let this be our cry: Anathama to the French name! The vast majority of the population of Haiti, then the extremely financially successful French colony of Saint-Domingue, consisted of African slaves. Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) July 16, 2007 contributed by: Claudia Sutherland. The real price of legitimate expectations. The Haitian Declaration of Independence, 1804, The Commander in Chief to the People of Haiti. He built a spectacular palace (Sans Souci) as well as an imposing fortress (La Citadelle Laferrire) in the hills to the south of the city of Cap-Hatien, where, with mutinous soldiers almost at his door, he committed suicide in 1820. Source: Slave Revolution in the Caribbean 1789 1804: A Brief History with Documents, translation,Laurent Dubois and John Garrigus, Publisher: Bedford/St. This declaration created the second independent country in the Americas and certified a new genre of political writing. What are you waiting for before appeasing their spirits? 1. Swear, finally, to pursue forever the traitors and enemies of your independence. Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution. http://haitianrevolutionfblock.weebly.com/causes-of-the-haitian-revolution.html. Instead, the idea of independence in this context was restricted to freedom from slavery, not liberalisation. "." What do we have in common with this people of executioners [the French]? he asked in the Declaration. Indeed! Despots and tyrants curse the day that I was born. In 1793 a commissioner, Lger-Flicit Sonthonax, was sent from France to maintain order and offered freedom to slaves who joined his army; he soon abolished slavery altogether, a decision confirmed the following year by the French government. Landowners in western Hispaniola imported increasing numbers of African slaves, who totaled about 5,000 in the late 17th century. The Declarations primary purpose, independence, was achieved: Haiti did gain its independence, which was belatedly recognized by France in 1825 (and the United States in 1862). Done at the headquarters of Gonaives, the first day of January 1804, the first year of independence. Therefore, is independence more important than life and what price one is willing to give? The Haitian Declaration of Independence: Creation, Context, and Legacy is a collection of eleven essays that analyze the writing of the document, the revolutionary process of which this document is the culmination, and, finally, the legacy of the Haitian Revolution and the Declaration of January 1, 1804. This was only the second time, after the United States in 1776, that an American colony had declared . James, C.L.R. There are still French in our island, and you believe yourself free and independent of that Republic which, it is true, has fought all the nations, but which has never defeated those who wanted to be free. [1], The central issue for the Haitian revolution was independence, specifically freedom from their enslavement under France. In its social and political complexity, the Haitian Revolution resembled the simultaneous revolution in France, since the demand of the revolutionaries was secession from the ruling-class of France. The declaration marked Haiti becoming the first independent nation of Latin America and only the second in the Americas after the United States. Catalogue description Haitian Declaration of Independence Ordering and viewing options Free; Download format PDF; Approximate size 2.5 MB; Add to basket; Order up to 10 items per basket, and up to 100 in a 30 day period. Jeremy D. Popkin addresses the connections between the Declaration and violence against the French who remained in postindependence Haiti. The Haitian Revolution had many international repercussions. Please select which sections you would like to print: How is the Haitian Revolution related to the French Revolution? British Capt. Co-author of the groundbreaking Empire and Multitude, Michael Hardt examines the Declaration of Independence and other texts by Jefferson, arguing that his powerful concept of democracy provides a biting critique of the current American administration.Introducing this collection of Jefferson's writings, Michael Hardt makes a powerful case for re-examining the foundational writings of this . Today, January 1st 1804, the general in chief of the native army, accompanied by the generals of the army, assembled in order to take measures that will insure the good of the country; After having told the assembled generals his true intentions, to assure forever a stable government for the natives of Haiti, the object of his greatest concern, which he has accomplished in a speech which declares to foreign powers the decision to make the country independent, and to enjoy a liberty consecrated by the blood of the people of this island; and after having gathered their responses has asked that each of the assembled generals take a vow to forever renounce France, to die rather than live under its domination, and to fight for independence until their last breath. Last but not least, the Declaration had something to say to the vast majority of the people present on 1 January 1804: the black rank-and-file. We reserve the right to make changes to the information on the site without notice. The Haitian Declaration of Independence created out of the need to address the issues of Haiti enslaved by France. And you, a people so long without good fortune, witness to the oath we take, remember that I counted on your constancy and courage when I threw myself into the career of liberty to fight the despotism and tyranny you had struggled against for 14 years. The declaration marked Haiti's becoming the first independent Black nation in the Western Hemisphere. By 1789, on the eve of the French Revolution, the estimated population of Saint-Domingue, as the French called their colony, was 556,000 and included roughly 500,000 African slaves, 32,000 European colonists, and 24,000 affranchis (free mulattoes [people of mixed African and European descent] or blacks). Its success pushed France to abolish slavery in 1794, and the Haitian Revolution outlasted the French Revolution. Their bones would reject yours. Unlike that which we inhabit, theirs has not been drenched in the innocent blood of its inhabitants; they have no vengeance to claim from the authority that protects them. To them, this was another annoyance from the colonies. Notably, the Haitian declaration of independence signalled the culmination of the only successful slave revolution in history. The Haitian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on 1 January 1804 in the port city of Gonaves by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, marking the end of 13-year long Haitian Revolution. The French were weakened by an epidemic of yellow feverLeclerc succumbed to the disease in November 1802and the conclusion of the Louisiana Purchase in May 1803 signaled Napoleons intention to withdraw from North America. If ever you refused or grumbled while receiving those laws that the spirit guarding your fate dictates to me for your own good, you would deserve the fate of an ungrateful people. Victims of our [own] credulity and indulgence for 14 years; defeated not by French armies, but by the pathetic eloquence of their agents proclamations; when will we tire of breathing the air that they breathe? Today, January 1st 1804, the general in chief of the native army, accompanied by the generals of the army, assembled in order to take measures that will insure the good of the country; After having told the assembled generals his true intentions, to assure forever a stable government for the natives of Haiti, the object of his greatest concern, which he has accomplished in a speech which declares to foreign powers the decision to make the country independent, and to enjoy a liberty consecrated by the blood of the people of this island; and after having gathered their responses has asked that each of the assembled generals take a vow to forever renounce France, to die rather than live under its domination, and to fight for independence until their last breath. In this brief text subsequently published in Negotiations (2002) as "Declarations of Independence" (hereafter "Declarations") Derrida assesses the status of "the people" as the sovereign guarantor of the constitution. This event and this document have come to signal the conclusion and success of the world's only successful slave revolution. Please do not cite or otherwise reproduce without permission. Google Scholar Gmez , Alejandro , Le Spectre de la rvolution noire: L'impact de la Rvolution hatienne dans le monde atlantique, 1790-1886 ( Rennes , 2013 ). But I reject that awful idea; you will sustain the liberty that you cherish and support the leader who commands you. Part Two, "Haitian Independence and the Atlantic," locates the Haitian independence movement within the Atlantic revolutionary context. Print. Dessalines' secretary Boisrond-Tonnerre stated, "For our declaration of independence, we should have the skin of a white man for parchment, his skull for an inkwell, his blood for ink, and a bayonet for a pen!". The Haitian Declaration of Independence by Jean-Jacques Dessalines et al. Haitian society was deeply fragmented by skin colour, class, and gender. 13, no. May [they] live in peace under the aegis of the laws they made for themselves. Despite all the fears of the American plantocracy, Haiti indeed refrained from encouraging slave revolts outside Hispaniola in ensuing years. Take the quiz. Citizens, my countrymen, on this solemn day I have brought together those courageous soldiers who, as liberty lay dying, spilled their blood to save it; these generals who have guided your efforts against tyranny have not yet done enough for your happiness; the French name still haunts our land. Fortunate to have never known the ideals that have destroyed us, they can only have good wishes for our prosperity. Getting the books Haitian Declaration Of Independence Summary now is not type of challenging means. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). But today is also a time to remember Jean-Jacques Dessalines, a military leader, politician, and a long-neglected hero of the Revolution who actually declared Haitian independence. Our Privacy Policy sets out how Oxford University Press handles your personal information, and your rights to object to your personal information being used for marketing to you or being processed as part of our business activities. Formal slavery, on the other hand, disappeared for good (though forms of bondage like the restavek system have endured). Remember that I sacrificed everything to rally to your defense; family, children, fortune, and now I am rich only with your liberty; my name has become a horror to all those who want slavery. Hardcover, 9780813937878, 0813937876 Citizens, my countrymen, on this solemn day I have brought together those courageous soldiers who, as liberty lay dying, spilled their blood to save it; these generals who have guided your efforts against tyranny have not yet done enough for your happiness; the French name still haunts our land. Look there for your children, your suckling infants, what have they become? I shudder to say it the prey of these vultures. While the document was printed in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian Declaration of Independence was first proclaimed as a speech at Gonaves. Eighteen hundred and four marked the end of colonial-era enslavement but also, unfortunately, Year One of Haitian militarism and authoritarianism. 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