Haitian Revolution Diary Entry Activity

Do Now What was life like for enslaved people in Saint

Domingue?

a) In what ways was the enslaved community diverse? What challenges did enslaved people face?

b) How did owners or overseers treat their slaves?

c) What was day to day life for enslaved people?

d) How did they cope with the challenges they faced?

In Pairs What happened in the early months of the 1791

revolt in the north?

How did enslaved people respond? How did whites respond?

What do you think it would have been like to be an enslaved person at the time?

What options did enslaved people have when the revolt started?

Considering Individual Perspectives

You are going to consider what it was like to be an enslaved person at the outbreak of the revolt in 1791.

Everyone will be given an “enslaved character profile.” Pay close attention to the information on your profile and make note of whether you live in Limbe, Plaisance, or the maroon community.

You will then complete a series of journal entries from the

perspective of the enslaved person you have been assigned.

Things to Keep in Mind

1. The success of the revolution is not a foregone conclusion. There have been slave revolts before, and they were all put down.

2. In 1791, rebel leaders were demanding improvements in working conditions, not an end to slavery.

3. Most masters held absolute power and responded to any disobedience with violent punishments.

Questions to Consider

1. What would be the costs of rising up against them?

2. If the revolt failed, what would happen to those who had left their plantations and fought against the whites? Would they be caught and killed? Would they have to answer for the destruction that had been caused?Would they be forced to live as fugitives in a maroon community?

3. If they succeeded, would the results be any different?

Journal Entry #1

Write a journal entry describing what daily life is like for your character. Try to include details such as what you spend your days doing, what relationships you have with other enslaved people and colonists, and how you feel about your circumstances.

Journal Entry #2

News of revolt reaches the enslaved people in Limbe, Plaisance, and the maroon community.

On the sugar plantations in Plaisance, a commandeur is caught setting fire to the cane fields. Enslaved people in Plaisance must decide whether to help the commandeur, help the white overseer, run away to a maroon community or join the rebel army.

Journal Entry #2 Continued

On the sugar plantation in Limbe, a commandeur has been charged with conspiring with the rebel army and sentenced to death. It is likely that the master will suspect other slaves and torture them for more information. Enslaved people in Limbe must decide whether to stay on the plantation or runaway to the maroon community or the rebel army.

Journal Entry #2 Continued

Maroons in the north have heard of the nearby revolt. If you are a maroon, will you remain where you are or join the rebel army? Remember that many of you have family and friends on that plantations that are in revolt.

Journal Entry #3

The rebel armies have reached Limbe and Plaisance. They plan to set the plantations on fire and kill all the whites. At the same time, there are reports that the colonial authorities have led attacks against rebel army camps and maroon communities suspected of harboring rebels. Hundreds have been massacred, including women and children.

Any enslaved people remaining on plantations must decide whether to join the rebel army, runaway to a maroon community, or remain on the plantations.

Enslaved people who are maroons or who have joined the rebel army must decided what they will do in response to the news. Will they continue the course they have chosen? Lead attacks against whites? Try to cross the border to Spanish Santo Domingo? Run away to other maroon communities in the south?

Discussion Questions

-What decisions do you think were the hardest?

-What factors did you try to consider when making decisions?

-In the end, why do you think some people joined the fight? Why do you think some people made different choices?