Impacts of Haitian Revolution on Jamaica

     The Haitian Revolution was a significant event in the history of west hemisphere  The revolution threw down the rule of French colonists in Saint-Domingue, created the first black republic in the world, and issued the first general emancipation of slaves, as well as the first declaration for racial equality. It not only influencend the history of Haiti, but also had great effects on the historical progress of United States and whole Caribbean region, including the neighoring island, Jamaica.

     When the news of Haitian Revolution came to Jamaica in September, 1791. It inspired the slaves, who "sang songs about it" (Geggus, 2001, p.X). Hence, the slaveowners of Jamaica feared that their slaves would rebel agasit themselves like the slaves in Saint-Domingue. The governor of Jamaica, Earl of Effingham, sent three or four vessels of war to provide ammunition and supplies to the planters of Saint-Domingue for stopping the revolution. Actually, most planters of Jamaica realized that the security of their plantation was linked to the security of societies in the Saint-Domingue, for the Haitian Revolution would inspire the slaves of Jamaica to run to Haiti, or even take an armed rebellion against their masters. One of the prestigious planters of Jamaica, Bryan Edwards, thought that Jamaican planters should try to assist French islands of Saint-Domingue to prevent the revolution form spreading to Jamaica and other British West Indies Islands. He appointed that results of Haitian Revolution were just ruin of economy and massacre of white people. As the revolution progressed, the fear among slaveowners was higher and higher. They thought that their African and creole slaves gained confidence form the success of former slaves in Saint-Domingue to throw down their masters. Therefore, they called out militia, established committees of security in each parish, and requested more troops from Britian.They also declared martial law in December, 1791, for they thought that Jamaica was on the brink of its own slave revolt (Geggus, 2001, p.46). For example, Thomas Barritt noted that a body of slaves plotted to set fire to Kingston, Spanish Town and Port Royal. In fact, negroes had been found with cartridges and firearms. This phenomenon meant that slaves of Jamaica were actually encouraged by Haitian revolution to seek their own freedom. The outbreak of war between Britain and France in 1793, and the slave emancipation of Haiti issued by French rolutionary edict in 1794 made slaveowners feared not only the internal slave rebellion inspired by Haitian Revolution, but also the outside attack from France and Saint-Domingue. The slaveowners did their best to reinforce their plantation to thwart any possible of slave revolt. The strategy was stronger during the Maroon war of 1795, which was considered as an effect of Haitian Revolution by Earl of Balcarres, the governor of Jamaica at that time.

        On the other hand, some slaveowners including Bryan Edwards, thought that they should improve slaves' condition to relax the tense relation between slaveowners and slaves. This view let the pass of new Jamaican Consolidated Slave Act of 1792, which nominally banned many cruelities. The abolition process, however, was slowed down by Haitian Revolution in some ways. It was because many anti-slavery thinkers feared that abolition of slave trade and slavery might lead to ruin of economy and massacre of white people as  that in Saint-Domingue.

       In addition to fear, slaveowners saw the revolution as an opportunity of profit because their former French rivals were destroyed by the revolution. The devastation of plantation society in Saint-Domingue let planters of other islands gain more opportunity of importing slaves and exporting sugar and coffee. For example, coffee production increased in Jamaica after the Haitian Revolution because of the less of former competitors of Saint-Domingue. The development of plantation economy and the reduction of abolition activities actually strengthened the slavery in Jamaica in some ways.

        In conclusion, Haitian Revolution inspired slaves of Jamaica to seek their own freedom. Hence, the slaveowners of Jamaica worried about the potential slave revolt and took actions to maintain their security, such as reinforcing their defense and restrict the activities of slaves. They also took actions to improve slaves' conditions for relaxing the relation between them and slaves. On the other hand, slaveowner of Jamaica made more profit after revolution because of the devastation of their important rivals in Saint-Domingue. Such profit combined with the reduction of abolition activities and they strengthened the slavery in Jamaica.

Sources:

1. David Patrick Geggus, The Impact of the Haitian Revolution in the Atlantic World, University of South Carolina Press: 2001

2. William James Gardner, A History of Jamaica, London: 1873