SaintDomingues

Saint-Domingue, originally a French colony, was the most prosperous sugar plantation colony in the world before the Haitian Revolution. Located on the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, it is now divided between the modern nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The colony was established in 1625 by the French, who initially named it *Sainte-Domingue* in honor of Saint Dominic. Over time, it became one of the most lucrative colonies in the French Empire, primarily due to its vast sugar plantations worked by enslaved Africans.

By the late 18th century, Saint-Domingue was producing nearly half of all European sugar and a third of its coffee. The colony’s economy relied heavily on enslaved labor, with an estimated 800,000 enslaved Africans living there by the late 1700s. The French elite, known as *gros blancs* (big whites), controlled the plantations, while *petits blancs* (small whites) and free people of color also played significant roles in the colony’s society.

The Haitian Revolution (1791–1804) began as a slave revolt led by figures such as Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and Alexandre Pétion. The rebellion was fueled by harsh conditions, racial inequality, and the influence of Enlightenment ideas. After a decade of conflict, including French military intervention, Saint-Domingue declared independence on January 1, 1804, becoming the first Black-led republic in the world and the second independent nation in the Americas, now known as Haiti. The colony’s name was officially changed to Haiti, though the eastern portion remained under Spanish rule until 1821, later becoming the Dominican Republic.

Saint-Domingue’s legacy includes its pivotal role in the abolitionist movement, as its revolution inspired anti-colonial struggles worldwide. The colony’s economic collapse following independence had lasting effects on the global sugar trade, while Haiti’s independence remains a landmark event in African and Caribbean history.