Timeline of Events in Haitian Revolutionary History

1492

• 1492 - Over a million Taino/Arawak Indians live on Hispaniola (Parkinson, p. xii)
• 1492-12-16 - Columbus lands on the island of San Salvador. He would land on Hispaniola shortly thereafter. (Parkinson, p. xii) Note that he named the island "Espagnola," which was later corrupted to Hispaniola. (Korngold, p. 3)

1500s

• 1517 - Less than 60,000 Taino Arawak Indians live on Hispaniola (Parkinson, p. xii)
• 1577 - Spain decreed that "15,000 Negro slaves should be shipped from Africa to Hispaniola" (Parkinson, p. xiii) Las Casas hoped that this would relieve the stresses which were killing the natives.
• 1586 - Sir Francis Drake captures the city and holds it for nearly a month. (Korngold, p. 7)
• 1592 - Fewer than 200 Taino Arawak Indians remain on Hispaniola (Parkinson, p. xii)

1600s

• 1640 - France sends Governor Levasseur to Hispaniola to establish a claim on the island. (Parkinson, p. xiv)
• 1644 - "the Brazilian Jew Benjamin Dacosta introduced sugar cane from Java into the Antilles and brought about a great economic revolution." (Korngold, p. 11)
• 1695 - Saint Domingue is born; the Treaty of Ryswick cedes the western half of Hispaniola to France. (Parkinson, p. xiv)

1700s

• 1768 - "coloured women were forbidden by law to marry white men." (Parkinson, p. 24)
• 1784 - "'a balloon was launched in Le Cap amongst scenes of incredible enthusiasm.' (Des Fosses)" (Parkinson, p. 22)
• 1785 - England acknowledges the USA's independence. (Parkinson, p. 26)
• 1787 - La Societé des Amis des Noirs founded in Paris. St. Domingue is at height of its production (James, before p. 53)
• 1788 - The planter Le Jeune successfully defends himself against charges of burning two Negresses legs. (Parkinson, p. 20). The island's population at this time consisted of 42,000 white, 38,000 slaves and 8000 plantations. The military forces consisted of 5,000 men. 80,000 sailors were engaged in trade. "St. Domingue, the 'Pearl of the Antilles', produced and exported more sugar than the entire British West Indies put together." (Parkinson, p. 22)

1789

• 1789 - "St. Domingo had attained a height of prosperity not surpassed in the history of European colonies. It supplied half Europe with sugar, coffee and cotton." H.E. Mills (Korngold, p. 12)
• 1789-07-14 - Storming of the Bastille

1791

• 1791-03-?? - governor of Saint Domingue murdered by his own soldiers. (Kennedy, p. 136)
• 1791-08-14 - (Sunday) "a meeting of slave-drivers, coachmen, and other members of the 'slave elite' from about 100 plantations took place i Plaine du Nord Parish on the Lenormand de Mézy sugar plantation. (Geggus, p. 84) Bois Caïman (Alligator Wood) on the
• 1791-08-22 - Boukman rebellion begins. (Parkinson, p. 41)
• 1791-11-29 - Commisioners Roume, St. Leger, and Mirbeck land in St. Domingue.
• 1792-04-04 - French decree which enfranchises free Blacks and free Mulattoes but does not emancipate the slaves. (Kennedy, p. 137)

1792

• 1792-07-?? - Sonthonax and two other Commissioners arrive in Saint-Domingue (Kennedy, p. 136)
• 1792-09-17 - Commissioners Roume, St. Leger, and Mirbeck leave St. Domingue (Parkinson, p. 66)

1793

• 1793-01-21 - Louis XVI is executed. (Kennedy, p. 138)
• 1793-08-29 - Commissioner Sonthonax emancipates 15,000 slaves (basically freeing the northern province of the island) who had helped to defeat General Galbaud (basically freeing the northern province of the island). ALSO Toussaint uses the name L'Ouverture in an official paper for the first time.
• 1793-09-20 - 500 British troops under Whitelocke land in St. Domingue and take Jeremie. (Parkinson, p. 74)

1794

• 1794 - early - Toussaint and the Spaniards control the entire north of the island (apart from Le Cap) (Parkinson, p. 73)
• 1794-02-04 - French National Assembly abolishes slavery; word reaches Saint Domingue a few weeks later. (Parkinson, p. 76)
• 1794-05-06 - Toussaint takes Mass with Cabrera, then rides out of San Domingo to rejoin France.
• 1794-06-15 - Sonthonax is recalled to France to face trial for treason (Parkinson, p. 83)
• 1794-07-24 - Laveaux and Toussaint meet in person for the first time (Parkinson, p. 81)

1795

• 1795-02-03 - Toussaint, Rigaud, and Beauvais launch simultaneous attacks against the british from Jeremie to Môle St. Nicholas. (Parkinson, p. 93)
• 1795-06-?? - Toussaint takes Mirebelais after five months of fighting. (Parkinson, p. 85)
• 1795-07-22 - Treaty of Basle with Spain cedes eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola to France (Parkinson, p. 92)

1796

• 1796-03-20 - After a military parade at the Place d'Armes in Le Cap, Laveaux is seized and imprisoned by the mulattos. (Parkinson, p. 100)
• 1796-03-27 - Toussaint rides to Haut-Le Cap to see Laveaux, who is recuperating from his ordeal. (Parkinson, p. 101)
• 1796-04-01 - Laveaux names Toussaint Lieutenant Governor.
• 1796-summer - Sonthonax, Roume, and Raimond return as Commissioners.
• 1796-10-19 - Laveaux leaves St. Domingue, at Toussaint's behest, to be the island's representative in France.

1797

• 1797-spring - Sonthonax appoints Toussaint Commander in Chief.
• 1797-08-16 - Toussaint arrives in Le Cap with a large force and begins the process of forcing Sonthonax to leave St. Domingue. (Parkinson, p. 108)
• 1797-08-27 - Sonthonax finally leaves St. Domingue aboard the frigate L'Indien (Parkinson, p. 109)

1799

• 1799-06-13 - Toussaint makes a secret treaty with Great Britain and the United States which states, in part, "No expedition shall be sent out against any of the possessions of his Britannic Majesty and of the United States of America." (Korngold, p. x)

1801

• 1801-??-?? - Rigaud is defeated and flees to France. (Kennedy, p. 140)

References

• Parkinson, Wenda (1978). This Gilded African. London: Quartet Books. ISBN 0-7043-2187-4
• Kennedy, Roger G. (1989). Orders from France: The Americans and the French in a Revolutionary World, 1780-1820. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-394-55592-9.
• Korngold, Ralph (1944). Citizen Toussaint. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. LCCN 44007566.