HaitiLibre Quiz

Revolution and independence 2.1 HAITI

Difficulty Level: N2 Intermediate
Welcome to this second quiz of intermediate difficulty level dedicated to the Haitian Revolution. Designed for curious minds who already have a good foundation, this course explores the political dynamics, changing alliances and complex military strategies that made it possible to break the French colonial yoke and give birth to the Republic of Haiti.
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In May 1791, the Constituent Assembly in Paris passed a crucial decree concerning Saint-Domingue, but which still excluded the majority of the population. What does this decree stipulate?

100% of players answered correctly.

THE CORRECT ANSWER: The granting of political rights to citizens of color born to free parents

The decree of May 15, 1791, passed under pressure from the Society of Friends of Blacks, granted equal political rights only to “citizens of color born of free fathers and mothers”. Although this text only concerns a tiny minority of the population and completely excludes slaves, it provokes the fury and revolt of the white settlers of Saint-Domingue, who categorically refuse to apply it. For large planters, granting rights to non-whites directly threatened the foundations of racial supremacy on which the colonial system was based.On the other hand, for mulattoes and free blacks, this colonial refusal is a blatant betrayal of republican ideals. This major political tension exacerbated the climate of insurrection and precipitated the tactical alliance of many free people of color with the insurgent slaves, whose massive uprising began a few months later, in August 1791.