Hispaniola to Haiti: a brief overview of Saint-Domingue History...

Between 1659 and 1804, the nation known today as Haiti, was known as Saint-Domingue...
      

In December of 1492, Christopher Columbus claimed this same Caribbean island, (originally settled by the native Arawaks, Tainos, and Caribs) dubbing it “Hispaniola”- which translates from Latin to English as “The Spanish Island.” The Spanish controlled the Island of Hispaniola until the seventeenth century, when Pirate settlements and trade bases began spreading from the Island of Tortuga (or Ile de Tortue in Spanish) to the somewhat neglected, western side of the Grand Terre (Hispaniola mainland). What with the influx of piracy by French “boucaniers” or “buccaneers,” the Spanish conceded power of the Western-most part of the island to the French government in the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick. It became known as Saint- Domingue.

                                       

An aside:

[The Treaty of Ryswick (shown above) as activated to upon the settlement of the Nine Years War between France and the allies of England, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire (Also known as the Great Alliance). In the treaty, France not only gained full control over Saint-Domingue, also retained the Pondicherry Territory of India and, interestingly enough, the province of Nova Scotia.  Almost Sixty years later, Nova Scotia history plays a large role in the settlement of Acadians in Louisiana, particularly in what are called the “River Road” parishes; a connection to be further examined later in this blog. …but I digress…]

Back to the buccaneers…

Among these swashbucklers and bootleggers, was a man by the name of Bertrand d’Orgeron. His promotion of tobacco planting, combined with the sugar industry supported the economy of Saint- Domingue, which despite being interrupted by the Seven Years War, expanded in the 1760s. In the Eighteenth century, Saint-Domingue became known as the “Jewel of the Antilles,” as it was one of the wealthiest colonies of the French Empire. Other major markets of the economy included: Indigo and Cotton, as well as coffee.

In fact, by the 1780s, Saint-Domingue produced the overwhelming majority of the sugar and coffee consumed by Europe. Amazing, considering the fact that the area is roughly the size of the state of Maryland, as well as the treacherousness of Caribbean-European trade routes.

Of course, this caused a surge in the amount of man power needed to accommodate for the high demand of Saint-Domingue products.

 Nearly 800,000 African Natives populated the area at this time, with an added growth of 40,000 slaves being brought over every year. By my calculation, this would have counted for roughly 96% of the total Saint-Domingue population. An essential enslaved-to-white colonial ratio of 24:1.This dense population presented a number of problems. Unsanitary conditions cause European diseases to spread like wildfire. Yellow fever ran rampant. Slaves were treated cruelly, and talk of rebellion stirred the oppressed population.

On August 22, 1791, a large slave rebellion began (Touched off by the continental French Revolution and led by commanders such as Toussaint L’Ouverture). Within a year, this civil war led to a slave-controlled of Saint-Domingue. They had killed thousands of their former owners, and destroyed nearly 200 plantations.                                                               

Out of concern for their colonial income, France decided to send troops into Saint-Domingue. Slaves had already allied themselves to England (who was currently at war with France as well), and Spain would follow suit in the battle against French government for the Jewel of Antilles and her enslaved population.

The French realized that the only way to avoid military disaster was to free the slaves themselves, abolishing slavery in Saint-Domingue. Finally, in 1794, the French legislative assembly of the National Convention formally declared the abolishment of slavery in their colonial empire of Saint-Domingue.

Saint-Domingue would not be called Haiti until 1804, after Jean-Jacques Dessalines, (a creole who had fought both for and against France in his earlier years as a soldier, in part as lieutenant to Toussaint L’Overture) defeated Napoleon’s army at the Battle of Vertieres during the final course of the Haitian Revolution on November 18, 1803.     
 

Sources:

Gould, Clarence P. "Trade Between Windward Islands and Continental Colonies of France, 1683-1763," Mississippi Valley History Review Vol. 24. (1939). 31 August 2011. 473-490.
 <http://www.jstor.org/pss/1892496>

Sullivan, Blair and Geoffrey Symcox. "Christopher Columbus and the Enterprise of the Indies: A Brief History with Documents." [New York: Bedford, 2005].

Garrigus, John D. "Before Haiti: Race and Citizens in Saint-Domingue." [New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002].