Haitian+Revolution+Causes+B

=Social Hierarchy: = Divided into four groups:

The Whites (mostly French): divided into two groups
-The Planters—wealthy whites who owned plantations and many slaves & were rebelling against King George for the prohibition of trading with any partner except France and no representation in the French government -Petit Blancs—less powerful that planters: artisans, shop keepers, merchants, teachers, and middle~underclass whites; had few slaves and more loyal to France & ANTI BLACK!

Free Persons of Color:
-Mulattoes, children of the Frenchmen, slave women, and black slaves (who had purchased their freedom or given freedom) -Quite wealthy (wealthier than petit blancs) -Could own plantations and owned a large portion of slaves, often treated slaves poorly and showed discrimination -Did not have rights as citizens of France -Wanted Haiti to be free

Black Slaves: divided into two groups (Domestic & Field Hands)
-Slaves outnumbered the free people about 10:1 -Slave system was very cruel -Domestic slaves were better treated than field hands -Field hands had the harshest and most hopeless life

Maroons
-Runaway slaves who retreated into the mountains of Haiti -Lived in small villages developing African culture -Anti-slavery, but not will not fight for freedom alone = French Revolution & Dissatisfaction with Metropolitan France = (White planters desiring independence form Revolutionary France & Free Persons of color, attracted to the concept of equality embedded in the doctrine of The Rights of Man, wanted full rights of citizenship) -France enforced a system called “exclusif” which was: selling all the exports to France alone, and France purchased all the imports from France -French merchants and crown set prices both for imports and exports—making it not competitive for world market and helping France -Trade grew with other countries especially with the US -Planters and free people of color were affected by the oppression of France’s “exclusif” -Independence movements were created between the Free People of Color and the Whites -Creation of Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen led to the question of slavery and the creation of an anti-slavery society (Friends of the Blacks) = Slavery = -Slaves were not willing to submit their status -Slave owners feared the slaves -Constant rebellions from the slaves -Slave rebellions did not have any allies, domestic slaves tended to be loyal to their masters