Legacy of the Haitian Revolution: Impact on the USA

From the outset of the revolution, nearby slave societies were terrified that the revolt in Haiti would spread to their own communities. From 1792 onwards, laws were passed throughout the Caribbean and North America to restrict immigration from Saint-Domingue. Slave owners feared that former enslaved people from Saint-Domingue would incite revolutions in their societies. They were right to be afraid; there were many slave uprisings in the American South following the events in Saint-Domingue.

Sign marking the site of
Gabriel's Rebellion

One of the most famous was in Virginia in 1800, called Gabriel’s Rebellion. It was led by a literate enslaved blacksmith who had learned of the slave rebellion in Haiti. He secretly met and planned his rebellion in the same way as the slaves on Haiti had. Unlike the slave rebellion in Haiti, Gabriel’s rebellion failed. And because of this rebellion and others like it, slavery became more restrictive in the United States. For example, many states passed laws that forbid slaves to learn how to read.

Another impact of the Haitian Revolution was on the size of the United States! The success of the Haitians led to the growth of the United States. When Napoleon could not re-conquer Haiti, he realized it would be better to get rid of all colonial holdings in the Western Hemisphere. Therefore, he decided to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States, nearly doubling the size of the US. In an ironic twist, the additional land sold to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase allowed slavery to grow and thrive there for an additional sixty years.

However, the Haitian Revolution also inspired the fight for abolition in the United States. People who were against slavery saw the harsher slave laws in their own countries and became more vocal in their opposition to slavery. People, both black and white, began helping slaves make their way to freedom. A loosely connected network of safe houses developed across the states to help runaway slaves find freedom. This “Underground Railroad” helped many slaves find their way to the northern states or to Canada.

Questions to Consider:

• Answer as a comment on the blog. 
• Have a separate comment for each question. 
• Clearly state the question # and your name (and your partner's name if applicable.) 
• Comment on the posts of at least two others. 

1. Why did the Haitian Revolution make slave owners in the US pass stricter laws?
2. Why were slave owners afraid of having slaves learn to read? How does access to information empower people?
3. Some people claim that things often get worse before they get better. Do you think this is true? How might that explain the development of the Underground Railroad?