The Haitian Revolution (1789-1804)
The Haitian Revolution was an event of seismic proportions around the world. From its beginning in 1789 to its official conclusion in 1804, with the foundation of the nation of Haiti, all eyes were set on this Caribbean island where enslaved and formerly enslaved people took arms against their white overlords to claim their freedom. In turn, they created the first Black nation in the Americas.
Searching Tip:
When searching any of the databases listed on this page, try these keywords to find articles and books about Haiti:
- Haiti, Hayti, or Ayiti
- "Saint Domingo" or St. Domingo (that is the previous name of Haiti)
- Atlantic Freedoms: Haiti, not the US or France, was where the assertion of human rights reached its defining climax in the Age of Revolution (Laurent Dubois)This essay, written by Laurent Dubois, professor of Romance Studies at Duke University, this the history of the Haitian revolution and their impact in the Western Hemisphere
- Inside the Kingdom of Hayti, 'the Wakanda of the Western Hemisphere'This essay was written by Prof. Marlene Daut from the University of Virginia. A great introduction to the early history of Haiti, a real "Wakanda" in the Americas.
- The Root of Haiti’s Misery: Reparations to EnslaversA New York Times article by Catherine Porter, Constant Méheut, Matt Apuzzo and Selam Gebrekidan exposing the estimated $21 billion ransom France forced Haiti has paid to France to maintain its freedom.
The Haitian Revolution by Call Number: F1923 .G338 2014ISBN: 9780872208650Publication Date: 2014-09-03
Rituals, Runaways, and the Haitian Revolution by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781108919890Publication Date: 2021-10-28
Slave Revolution in the Caribbean, 1789-1804 by Call Number: F2151 .D84 2017ISBN: 1319048781Publication Date: 2016-09-02
Academic Journals Databases (Secondary Sources)
- Academic Search PremierIncludes articles from scholarly journals and popular magazines covering a wide variety of disciplines with the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
- Project MUSEFull text access to journals and ebooks in classics, education, history, literature, math, philosophy, politics, religion, and visual and performing arts.
- JSTORScholarly journals in many academic fields, especially arts, literature, humanities, and biology.
Documentary on the Haiti Revolution
Primary Sources Databases
- Slavery, Abolition, and Social JusticeThe database contains primary materials not only about slavery and abolition in the US but also case studies from America, the Caribbean, Brazil, and Cuba. Also a wealth of useful secondary sources including an interactive map, chronology, and scholarly essays.
- Eighteenth Century Collections OnlineFull-text of over 150,000 books published during the 18th Century. Covers history, literature, religion, law, fine arts, science and more. 1701-1800. Since the Haitian revolution started in 1789 you can find books written about the Haitian revolution in this collection.
Archival Collections (English)
- History of the Haitian Independence Struggle 1791-1804This site offers links to translated documents related to the Haitian revolution and its main players.
- Memoir of General Toussaint L’Ouverture. Written by HimselfTranslated by J. R. Beard in 1863
- The Impact of the Haitian RevolutionList of books (with links to the online facsimiles) of books written after the Haitian revolution that document how it was perceived around the world
- NYPL Digital Collection: HaitiDigital images that depict the leaders of the Haitian Revolution and the royalty from the King of Hayti.
Archival Collections (French)
- La Gazette Royale d'HaytiIn this site you can explore sample of the early print culture in the Haiti (in French)
- The Other Revolution: Haiti 1789-1804On online exhibit with links to rare books (mostly in French but some in English and Spanish) and images by and from the John Carter Brown Library (Brown University)
