Power Struggles in Saint-Domingue: From Freedom to Civil War

1. From Freedom to Civil War

2. Power in the Colony Continued • Remember. Sonthonax left Laveaux in charge of colony • Rigaud was military commander and sole power in French Southern possessions. • British control- Grand ‘Anse, Leogane, St Marc and L’Archaie • Brother of Oge, Savary, Mayor of St Marc sided with British to protect “property and safety of citizens” • Welcomed by both white and Mulatto slave holders • June 1794 come to occupy Port au Prince

3. Rigaud/Bauvais • Control of small portion of the South • 10,000 soldiers • Had been fighting and winning against planters in the South. • All positions in government filled by Mulattoes • Militaristic regime with army members integrated in all spheres of administration • Ran area like a plantation • Lost trust of slaves • Diuedonne

4. Toussaint • Turned to the French in 1794 • Several reasons • Emancipation • Biassou and Jean Francois jealous of his rise in the minds of the Spanish leadership • Biassou accused him of being a murderous traitor and was arrested by Spanish Military. • Understood that Spanish want a return to slavery. • Defeats Biassou in battle • Begins winning back land for France from Spanish.

5. Toussaint cont… • Comes to control the North • Army of 20,000 troops. • 30 camps • Control of Central mountains • Artibonite • Gonaives • Treaty of Bale ends fighting between French and Spanish

6. More Toussaint • Has Dessalines, Moise, and Christophe with him • Begins to engage British. • English attack Toussaint Feb 1795 • English Major Brisbane defeated by Toussaint’s army. • British seen as wanting to preserve slavery in the South and reinstate it in the North. • By October 1795, Toussaint is most powerful person in the colony.

7. Villate affair March 1796 • Villate in charge of Cap Francois during fighting with Spanish. • Laveaux asserts power after treaty of Bale. • Enters the city and is arrested • Toussaint and Rigaud knew what was going to happen. • Rigaud allowed it to happen in order to remove Laveaux’s power • Toussaint comes to Cap to save Laveaux. • Toussaint becomes the person the French see as being able to save colony. • Promoted to Lieutenant-Governor of Saint Domingue

8. Third Civil commission. • Sent October 1795, arrive in colony May 11,1796 (After Villate Affair) • Sonthonax, Raimond, and Roume • Sonthonax returns as commissioner • Sonthonax challenges Toussaint’s power in the colony • Removes Rigaud from post in Cayes, as a result of Sonthonax’s changing of his military regime in the South. • French Authorities in Saint Domingue and France view Rigaud with suspicion.

9. Toussaint comes to total power • Rival rebel leaders begin to disappear • Manipulates the voting of representatives to France to ensure Laveaux and Sonthonax are elected. • Laveaux leaves for France October 1796 • Begins to contact Rigaud to build an alliance against Sonthonax. • Toussaint sends Sonthonax to France to represent the colony August 1797

10. Seeds of civil war 1798 • Toussaint was being feared by French government. • Too powerful • Was negotiating with English for evacuation. • British possessions returned to Toussaint • General Hedouville arrives in colony April 1798 • By French govornment.

11. Divide and Conquer • Hedouville’s mission • Create division between Toussiant and Rigaud • The two had worked together to reclaim Jeremie • Went to Cap to meet Hedouville • Hedouville praised Rigaud and humiliated Toussaint • Toussiant enters into commercial relationship with England • Upsets Hedouville

12. Toussiant vs. Hedouville • Hedouville arrests Moise (Toussaint’s adoptive nephew) for an incident in a military camp • Moise escapes • Toussaint sends Dessalines to arrest Hedouville • Hedouville expelled from colony. • Before he leaves he, secretly, informs Rigaud that he does not have to listen to Toussaint.

13. Affranchi’s and Whites • Small numbers • Economic power • No military power-Black masses in military control • Free Blacks begin acquiring political power • Distrustful of Rigaud and Mullatoes • Turn to France to help them with rebel blacks. • Divide • Rigaud’s power rested upon Mulatto and White finance as well as French Support • Toussaint ‘s power rested with the Black masses • Both had to defend their interests.

14. Civil war • Toussaint signs a trade deal with Britian and Americans • Who are both at war with French • Wanted to separate France from colony • Revealed a plot by France to invade Jamaica (British colony) • Used alliance to fund fight against Rigaud. • Rigaud becomes popular in the South due to policies

15. Civil War Begins • January 1799- Toussaint begins to undermine Rigaud to Roume • Roume calls meeting beteenRigaud and Toussaint • Toussaint requests Rigaud step down as commander in chief of the South. • Rigaud, instead, steps down. Wants to leave for France, Roume won’t let him.

16. War of Knives • February 1799 • A riot occurred in Corail • 30 people- 29 blacks 1 white died while in prison. • Toussaint uses this moment to portray Rigaud as an enemy of the Blacks • Roume sends Toussaint to discipline Rigaud. • Rigaud decides to fight against Toussaint • June 17,1799 attack Petit Goave and Grand Goave • Toussaint moves to fight in the south.

17. War of Knives • Many of Rigaud’s supporters killed. • Dessalines killed many Mulattoes. • Boyer and Petion, soldiers loyal to Toussaint defect to Rigaud • Jacmel • Petion fights against Toussaint’s forces for 5 months. • Loses fight due to famine and disease • Falls in March of 1800 • July 1800- Rigaud leaves St Domingue

18. Result • Toussaint in sole power in the colony • Rigaud gone • Roume placed under arrest • Becomes governor of the Island.