Nathan Balcos World History 1/24/12 Toussaint LOuverture Questions: 1.

How did the French Revolution affect people in the Americas? The French Revolution gave hope to the people in the Americas. It showed them that a revolution against a higher power was possible. 2. Who was Toussaint LOuverture? He was a slave who was inspired by the ideas of liberty and equality. Though he was a slave, his master allowed him to be educated. Therefore, he began to understand the slave system. He then led a successful uprising of slaves against the colonists of Saint-Dominique (modern day Haiti) until Napoleon sent an army to retake the island in 1802. 3. How did slave labor benefit the French? Slave labor allowed the French colonists live in wealth and luxury. Slaves were mistreated and severely abused in order to increase colonial profits. 4. How did Haiti gain its independence? Jean-Jacques Dessalines continued to fight the French after LOuverture died. French troops had gotten yellow fever and died and by 1804, Saint-Dominique gained its independence from France and was renamed Haiti. 5. Who was Jean-Jacques Dessalines? Jean-Jacques Dessalines was the successor of Toussaint LOuverture in the fight against the French colonists. Questions from Primary Source: 1. According to Toussaint, what will men who have enjoyed liberty never have taken away? Toussaint stated that men who have enjoyed liberty can never lose the feeling of it. 2. According to Toussaint, why will they never have it taken away? They can never have the feeling of liberty taken away, because once theyve felt the freedom and happiness of it, they can never forget it. 3. According to Toussaint, why must France not enslave the Haitians again? He warns the Directory that if the Haitians are enslaved again, they will fight back and rebel against the French. 4. According to Toussaint, what must France do? Toussaint claims that France must protect Haiti. 5. According to Toussaint, if France fails to protect them, what will the people of Haiti do? If France failed to protect them, Toussaint stated that the people of Haiti would fight to protect their liberty. 6. According to Toussaint, why will they brave death? Toussaint said that they would brave death because they have already tasted freedom and would do anything and sacrifice anything to keep it.

7. Do you agree or disagree with Toussaints warning to the French? Explain your answer. I believe Toussaint was right in warning the French not to enslave the Haitians again because it would make the French ponder on their decisions to try and enslave them.

In 1789 the French Revolution began, and Louis XVI , then King, was executed. He was replaced with a new republican government based on the principals of Liberty , Equality and Fraternity . However, this didnt apply to everyone. In 1789 France had an Empire which included Colonies in the Caribbean . These colonies had Plantations owned by white Frenchmen but worked by enslaved Africans.

Toussaint LOuverture was born in 1744 on the French colony of Saint-Domingue on a sugar plantation called Breda . He had heard about the French Revolution and its principals of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. In 1791 he took part in a revolt with other enslaved Africans, angry that they had not been freed by the new French government. The French declared the abolition of slavery, in order to stop the revolt. Toussaint hoped that the Africans would have their own government, but the British and Spanish, seeing that the French were losing control, tried to take St. Domingue for themselves. Toussaint led an army and defeated them. Toussaint now had control of the island, but the new French leader, Napoleon , wanted to recapture St. Domingue and bring back slavery. In 1801 he sent an army, but again Toussaint led the former slaves against them and forced the French to make a Retreat. But the French went back on their word and captured Toussaint. They took him to France, where he died in prison in 1803. His successor, Desslines , eventually defeated the French. St Domingue was renamed Haiti , and became the first black republic on 1st January 1804. Explain the meaning of Toussaints quote: In overthrowing me, you have done no more than cut downt he trunk of the tree of the black liberty in St-Dominique, it will spring back from the roots for they are numerous and deep. He means to say that it wouldnt matter if he himself was taken and executed because he has already given the slaves a taste of freedom and the drive to fight for themselves, therefore, even with him gone, they could still rebel against the French.

Questions:

1. Explain the authors statement: Sugars most bitter legacy is that the labor of slaves fueled the enslavement of even more Africans. The author means that the slaves, as a part of the Triangle Trade, fueled the enslavement of their own people by working on the sugar plantations. They made money for the Europeans, and the Europeans used that money to purchase more slaves. 2. Describe the impact of sugar cultivation on Native Americans and on Africans. Approximately 25,000 Africans were enslaved and transported across the Atlantic to work on the sugar plantations. The Native Americans were also enslaved and many were able to escape the fields, however, most of them died from European diseases. 3. Who was Bartolome de las Casas and what was his recommendation? He was a Catholic priest that recommended that the Europeans refrain from enslaving the Natives of the Americans but rather, enslave the Africans instead. 4. Why was sugar planting back-breaking work? Lines of slaves had to move across fields planting between 5,000 to 8,000 stems for a single acre of sugar canes. Workdays lasted from 6am to 6pm with breaks of only about 2 hours. Harvesting the cane was also hard work because sharp tools were dangerous.