The Haitian Revolution's Shadow

The successful slave revolution in neighboring Haiti (1791-1804) sent shockwaves through the Caribbean. It proved that enslaved Africans could defeat European powers and create independent nations, inspiring hope and fear throughout the region.

"Haiti's revolution changed everything," notes Dr. Laurent Dubois, historian of the Caribbean. "It made abolition thinkable while also making colonial powers more repressive, fearing similar uprisings. The French Caribbean's history cannot be understood without Haiti's example."

In Guadeloupe, the revolutionary period saw multiple attempts at abolition and re-enslavement: - 1794: First abolition under Revolutionary France - 1802: Napoleon's re-establishment of slavery - 1848: Final abolition