BLOG 7

BLOG # 7

Chapters 17, 18, & 20

Chapter 17 discussed the various revolutions during the 1700’s: the North American (1775-1787), the French (1789-1815), Haitian (1792-1804), and Spanish American Revolution (1810-1825). The most interesting of all the revolutions that were talked about during this chapter was the Haitian Revolution were the slaves revolted successfully. In this revolution took place in a French Caribbean colony of Saint Domingue. Saint Domingue  was one of the world’s richest plantations that produced 40% of the world’s sugar and half of its coffee during that time. Here the population of slaves (500,000) outnumbered the rest of the population which were divided into ranks. Whites, poor whites, free people of “color”, and then on the bottom of the totem pole was the slaves. But here, “socially, the last had become first. In the only completely successful slave revolt in the world history, the lowest order of society –slaves- became equal, free, and independent citizens. Politically, they had thrown off the French colonial rule, becoming the second independent republic in the Americas and the first non-European state to emerge from Western colonialism” (Strayer pg. 509). This entire revolution is inspiring in so many different ways. The fact that in a world that never thought it would be possible to have slaves actually come out top succeeded. It is nice to see that in history the slaves came together in a common goal to attain a certain goal with all odds stacked against them. Once again this is AMAZING!!!