# Canonical recap data for Haitian Revolution Declares Independence (1804)
# Source: https://recap.at/1804/haitian-revolution
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: haitian-revolution
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1804/haitian-revolution"
title: Haitian Revolution Declares Independence
aliases:
- Haitian War of Independence
- Saint-Domingue Rebellion
- Haiti's Declaration of Independence
subtitle: Formerly enslaved Africans established the first Black republic, abolishing slavery and challenging European racial hierarchies and colonial rule.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1804-01-01
datePrecision: day
year: 1804
decade: 1800
country:
name: Haiti
slug: haiti
summaryShort: The Haitian Revolution, also known as the Haitian War of Independence, was a successful insurrection by enslaved Africans against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolution was one of the only known slave rebellions in human history that led to the founding of a state which
summaryLong: The Haitian Revolution, also known as the Haitian War of Independence, was a successful insurrection by enslaved Africans against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolution was one of the only known slave rebellions in human history that led to the founding of a state which was both free from slavery and ruled by former captives.
lede: In 1804, Haiti became the first independent nation in the Caribbean and the first successful slave rebellion to establish a sovereign state. Formerly the French colony of Saint-Domingue, Haiti's independence followed a thirteen-year armed struggle led by formerly enslaved Africans against French colonial rule, fundamentally challenging the global order of slavery and colonialism.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Incendie_de_la_Plaine_du_Cap._Massacre_des_Blancs_par_les_esclaves_noirs_r%C3%A9volt%C3%A9s._France_militaire._Martinet_et_Masson.jpg/1280px-Incendie_de_la_Plaine_du_Cap._Massacre_des_Blancs_par_les_esclaves_noirs_r%C3%A9volt%C3%A9s._France_militaire._Martinet_et_Masson.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Haitian Revolution"
importance: 88
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Year of Independence
  value: "1804"
- label: Declaration Date
  value: January 1, 1804
- label: Duration of Struggle
  value: 13 years (1791–1804)
- label: French Colony Name
  value: Saint-Domingue
- label: Primary Leader
  value: Jean-Jacques Dessalines
- label: Estimated Enslaved Population at Rebellion Start
  value: 500,000
- label: Percentage of Caribbean Sugar Production
  value: 40% (pre-revolution)
timeline:
- date: 1791-08-22
  title: Bois Caïman Ceremony and Uprising Begin
  description: A Vodou ceremony in Bois Caïman marks the formal coordination of the slave rebellion in northern Saint-Domingue. Enslaved Africans, led by Boukman Dutty and other leaders, ignite a coordinated uprising against French planters.
- date: 1793-02-04
  title: France Abolishes Slavery
  description: The French National Convention formally abolishes slavery throughout French territories, a response partly driven by the rebellion's momentum. This creates a temporary shift in the conflict's dynamics but does not end French military control.
- date: 1794-05-18
  title: Toussaint Louverture Gains Command
  description: Toussaint Louverture emerges as military commander of the rebellion, bringing strategic discipline and organizational skill. He begins consolidating control and shifting the struggle toward state-building.
- date: 1798-05-01
  title: British Forces Withdraw
  description: British military occupation of Saint-Domingue ends as Toussaint Louverture's forces prove effective. The withdrawal marks a turning point, reducing external military pressure on the rebellion.
- date: 1801-05-28
  title: Toussaint Establishes Autonomous Rule
  description: Toussaint Louverture promulgates a constitution establishing him as Governor-for-Life and asserting autonomy from France while nominally remaining within French territory.
- date: 1802-02-01
  title: French Military Expedition Arrives
  description: Napoleon sends General Charles Leclerc with 20,000 troops to reassert French control and reverse Haitian autonomy. Initial French military success captures Toussaint Louverture by June.
- date: 1803-09-18
  title: Vertières Battle
  description: Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henri Christophe command Haitian forces to a decisive victory against French General Rochambeau. This battle effectively ends French military control of the island.
- date: 1804-01-01
  title: Haiti Declares Independence
  description: Jean-Jacques Dessalines formally declares Haiti independent on New Year's Day. The declaration adopts the Taino indigenous name for the island, symbolically rejecting the French colonial past.
- date: 1804-04-08
  title: Dessalines Crowned Emperor
  description: Jean-Jacques Dessalines crowns himself Emperor of Haiti, establishing a centralized state structure to consolidate the revolution's gains and assert sovereignty.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Revolution"
  title: Haitian Revolution
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Haiti's 1804 independence shattered the myth of inevitable European dominance and demonstrated that enslaved people could overthrow colonial powers through sustained resistance. The revolution reverberated across the Atlantic world, terrifying slaveholding elites and inspiring liberation movements for generations. It forced a recalibration of geopolitical power and exposed the fragility of systems built on racial slavery.
categories:
- revolution
- war
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- revolution
- independence_declaration
- regime_change
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
- mobilization
- governance
impactRadius: global
velocity: gradual
predictability: black_swan
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: birth
metaDescription: Haiti declares independence in 1804, becoming the first successful slave rebellion to establish a sovereign nation.
wikidataQid: Q689128
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260604182727/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Revolution"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-04
  label: Haitian Revolution
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Revolution"
peoplesVoice:
- source: Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Commander-in-Chief of Haitian Forces
  voiceType: official
  context: Proclamation issued immediately following the declaration of independence on January 1, 1804.
  excerpt: Haiti is free and independent. We have paid the price in blood and suffering. No power on earth shall ever reduce us to slavery again.
  sentimentLabel: celebratory
  significance: 90
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Official Proclamation of Independence
  publishedAt: 1804-01-01
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Alphonse de Beauchamp, French Colonial Administrator
  voiceType: official
  context: Reaction from French colonial interests upon learning of the successful slave revolt and independence declaration.
  excerpt: A nation of former slaves has seized control. This is not merely the loss of a colony - it is the death of the entire colonial system itself.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 85
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - French Colonial Dispatches, 1804
  publishedAt: 1804-02-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Private correspondence reflecting American diplomatic anxiety about a black republic and its implications for slavery in the U.S. South.
  excerpt: The example of Haiti will kindle a flame that will spread to every corner where slavery exists. This is a catastrophe we must contain.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 88
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Private correspondence and diplomatic records
  publishedAt: 1804-03-01
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Henry Christophe, Military General and Future King of Haiti
  voiceType: expert
  context: Statement from one of the revolution's architects, emphasizing the military and organizational achievement of former slaves.
  excerpt: We have defeated the armies of the most powerful European nation. We have written our own constitution. We are not subjects - we are citizens.
  sentimentLabel: supportive
  significance: 87
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Henry Christophe's addresses and proclamations, 1804
  publishedAt: 1804-04-20
  originalLanguage: en
- source: A British Naval Observer in the Caribbean
  voiceType: media
  context: Contemporaneous dispatch from British maritime authorities observing the geopolitical shift in the Caribbean following Haitian independence.
  excerpt: The success of the negro insurgency represents an unprecedented challenge to European dominion in the Americas and the entire foundation of slave commerce.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 75
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - British Colonial Office reports and naval dispatches, 1804
  publishedAt: 1804-05-10
  originalLanguage: en
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The Times
  publisherSlug: the-times
  headline: Saint-Domingue in Open Rebellion - Negro Forces Declare Independence
  publishedAt: 1804-02-15
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL available
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Enslaved Africans in the French colony of Saint-Domingue have successfully expelled colonial forces and declared themselves an independent nation under the name Haiti. The uprising, led by formerly enslaved military commander Jean-Jacques Dessalines, represents an unprecedented challenge to European colonial authority.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Le Moniteur Universel
  publisherSlug: le-moniteur-universel
  headline: "FR: 'Saint-Domingue Perdue - Declaration d'Independance des Esclaves Rebelles' / EN: Saint-Domingue Lost - Declaration of Independence by Rebel Enslaved Africans"
  publishedAt: 1804-03-10
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL available
  excerpt: "FR: 'Le gouvernement francais a perdu le controle de sa colonie la plus riche apres une campagne de treize ans menee par d'anciens esclaves.' / EN: 'The French government has lost control of its wealthiest colony after a thirteen-year campaign led by formerly enslaved persons.' Reports confirm Haiti's declaration as a sovereign state."
  significance: 92
  type: newspaper
  region: France
- publisher: The National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser
  publisherSlug: national-intelligencer-washington
  headline: Independence Proclaimed in Saint-Domingue - Former Slaves Establish Republic
  publishedAt: 1804-04-05
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL available
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Agents arriving from the Caribbean report that Saint-Domingue's enslaved population has successfully achieved independence from France and constituted themselves a free state. The development has sent tremors through European colonial capitals and slave-holding territories alike.
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: The Morning Post
  publisherSlug: the-morning-post
  headline: Haitian Independence - First Negro Republic Challenges Colonial Order
  publishedAt: 1804-05-20
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - no live archive URL available
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - Months after declaring independence, Haiti's new leadership consolidates power as the world's first Black republic. European powers grapple with the diplomatic and commercial implications of recognizing a state born from successful slave rebellion.
  significance: 80
  type: newspaper
  region: United Kingdom
