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History–Tours
179122 August 1791 – 1 January 1804 · Cap-Haïtien

Haitian Revolution

Cannon on the terrace of the Citadelle Laferrière in northern Haiti
Photo: Rémi Kaupp. CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Enslaved people in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, the world's richest sugar colony, rose in revolt in August 1791 after a gathering at Bois Caïman. Led by Toussaint Louverture and then Jean-Jacques Dessalines, they ended slavery, defeated French, Spanish and British forces, and declared Haiti independent in 1804, the first state founded by formerly enslaved people.

Travel advisory. Most governments advise against all travel to Haiti because of gang violence and kidnapping; the north has been calmer but access is unreliable. We list this event for reference, and don't list guides here until travel is possible again.

Sites

  1. Site 1: Citadelle LaferrièreMountain fortress built by Henri Christophe to defend independence.Map ↗
  2. Site 2: Sans-Souci Palace, MilotRuined palace of King Henri Christophe.Map ↗
  3. Site 3: VertièresSite of the final victory over the French in November 1803.Map ↗

More from the 18th & 19th Century

Read more: reference. Summary written by History-Tours.com.