Haiti declares independence after a successful slave revolution
- Date
- 1 January 1804
- Category
- Military & conflict
- Region
- Caribbean (Hispaniola)
- Era
- Modern
- Significance
On 1 January 1804, at Gonaïves, Jean-Jacques Dessalines proclaimed the independence of the former French colony of Saint-Domingue, restoring the indigenous Taíno name Haiti.
The declaration capped a thirteen-year revolution that began with a massive slave uprising in 1791 and saw the defeat in turn of French, Spanish and British forces. Haiti became the first independent state in Latin America, the first Black-led republic in the modern world, and the only nation founded by a successful revolt of the enslaved. The revolution abolished slavery outright and overturned the racial and colonial order on which the Atlantic plantation economy rested. Its example terrified slaveholding societies across the Americas and inspired the enslaved and free people of colour, while many European and American governments responded with hostility, isolation and, later, crippling indemnity demands from France. The cost in lives was immense, with hundreds of thousands dead. The Haitian Revolution remains a landmark in the global history of emancipation, anti-colonial struggle and human rights.
One piece of history in your inbox, weekly
New empires, events and features as they land — one good email a week. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Empires active in 1 January 1804
- British Empire1583 CE – 1997 CE
- Russian Empire1721 CE – 1917 CE
- Qing Dynasty1636 CE – 1912 CE
- Spanish Empire1492 CE – 1976 CE
- Portuguese Empire1415 CE – 1999 CE
- Mughal Empire1526 CE – 1857 CE
Related military & conflict events
- Napoleon's invasion of RussiaJune–December 1812
- Battle of Waterloo18 June 1815
- First Opium War and the Treaty of Nanking1839–1842 (Treaty of Nanking, 29 August 1842)
- The Taiping Rebellion1850–1864
- American Civil War and the abolition of slavery1861–1865 (Emancipation Proclamation 1 January 1863; 13th Amendment ratified 6 December 1865)
- The Franco-Prussian War, German unification and the Paris Commune19 July 1870 – 10 May 1871; German Empire proclaimed 18 January 1871
Also relevant
Further reading
The wider story
Empire of the Summer Moon
Bestselling narrative of Comanche power on the plains.
Get it on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate, Human Saga earns from qualifying purchases.