The Haitian Revolution was the only successful slave revolution in history; it created the world’s first black republic—traumatizing southern planters, inspiring black Americans, and inspiring anti-slavery activists worldwide .
Leading the rebellion was General Toussaint Louverture, a former slave whose genius was admired by allies and enemies alike.
The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) was a period of conflict in the French colony of Santo Domingo that culminated in the abolition of slavery and the establishment of the Haitian Republic.
Although hundreds of rebellions broke out during centuries of slavery in the New World, only the Santo Domingo slave rebellion that began in 1791 managed to achieve lasting independence under the leadership of a new nation. The Haitian Revolution is considered a defining moment in the history of Africans in the New World.
