Tag: Saint-Domingue
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231 Years Ago, the French Convention Abolished Slavery
On February 4, 1794, the French National Convention made a radical decision: it abolished slavery in all its colonies. Enslaved people, who had been legally classified as biens meubles (property under French law), were now recognized as French citizens. The decree formalized changes that were already underway in Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti), where enslaved people had…
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Inca past and symbolism in 18th century Saint-Domingue (part I)
One of the most peculiar developments near the end of the Haitian Revolution was the adoption of the name Inca and children of the Sun by Jean-Jacques Dessalines. According to historian Thomas Madiou, Dessalines began using the name by the autumn of 1802, referring to those who submitted to him in opposition to the forces…