The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo RevolutionA powerful and impassioned historical account of the largest successful revolt by enslaved people in history: the Haitian Revolution of 1791–1803 “One of the seminal texts about the history of slavery and abolition.... Provocative and empowering.” —The New York Times Book Review The Black Jacobins, by Trinidadian historian C. L. R. James, was the first major analysis of the uprising that began in the wake of the storming of the Bastille in France and became the model for liberation movements from Africa to Cuba. It is the story of the French colony of San Domingo, a place where the brutality of plantation owners toward enslaved people was horrifyingly severe. And it is the story of a charismatic and barely literate enslaved person named Toussaint L’Ouverture, who successfully led the Black people of San Domingo against successive invasions by overwhelming French, Spanish, and English forces—and in the process helped form the first independent post-colonial nation in the Caribbean. With a new introduction (2023) by Professor David Scott. |
Other editions - View all
The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution C.L.R. James Limited preview - 1989 |
The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution C.L.R. James Limited preview - 2023 |
Common terms and phrases
abolition African Archives Nationales arms army asked Assembly attack Beauvais Biassou black labourers blacks and Mulattoes Bonaparte bourgeois bourgeoisie British Christophe citizens civilisation Clairveaux colonists colony colour command Commissioners counter-revolution Croix-des-Bouquets decree deputies Dessalines Directory Dundas émigré enemies ex-slave expedition fight force France free blacks French Revolution gave Gonaïves Government Governor Haiti Haitian Hédouville Histoire Militaire insurrection island Jean François knew L'Ouverture Lacroix Laveaux Le Cap leaders Leclerc Léogane letter liberty Maitland masses masters Maurepas Minister of Marine Moïse Mulattoes Negro never officers organised Paris peace Pétion Petite-Rivière plantation planters political Port-au-Prince Raimond refused régime Republic restore slavery revolutionary Rigaud Rochambeau Roume royalist saint Saint-Domingue San Domingo sent slavery slaves small whites soldiers Sonthonax South Spaniards Spanish San Domingo St Marc tion took Toussaint town trade troops Vaublanc Vincent wanted West Indian West Indies West Province women wrote