The Forgotten Truth

Women in the Haitian Revolution

Abstract

The Haitian Revolution stands as an important event in the history of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade due to it being the first successful slave revolt resulting in complete independence from the former slave society. This paper, follows the cultural history of the Haitian Revolution by analyzing political femininity present within Saint-Domingue/Haiti pre, mid, and post-revolution in order to bring forward female Haitian political actors. By examining how gender influenced the Haitian Revolution, a broader historical narrative is formed, one that accounts for intersectional perspectives and understandings to better conceptualize the whole history of the Haitian Revolution. This paper seeks to preserve the often-forgotten female legacies by analyzing primary sources written directly on the Haitian revolution and secondary sources written by historians specializing in either Trans-Atlantic or gendered histories.