Haitian Revolution Begins — Slave Revolt in Saint-Domingue
On the night of 22–23 August 1791 enslaved people in the northern province of Saint-Domingue rose in the largest and most successful slave revolt in history, setting fire to plantations and killing hundreds of white colonists. Toussaint Louverture emerged as the dominant military leader, navigating alliances with Spain, France, and briefly Britain before declaring the abolition of slavery and establishing de facto autonomous rule. After Toussaint's treacherous arrest by Napoleon's forces in 1802, Jean-Jacques Dessalines led the final campaign that destroyed the French expeditionary force—partly through yellow fever—and on 1 January 1804 declared the independent state of Haiti. It was the only successful slave revolution in history and created the Western Hemisphere's first Black republic.
- Year: 1791 CE
- Category: Military
