1791 slave rebellion

The 1791 slave rebellion was a slave rebellion in the French colony of Saint-Domingue which sparked the Haitian Revolution. Unlike previous rebellions, French colonial authorities were unable to suppress it, and the rebellion eventually led to the abolition of slavery in the colony. The revolt was notable for being one of the only slave rebellions in history to succeed and for its prominence in the history of Haiti.

By the time of the rebellion, over half the population of Saint-Domingue was enslaved. The outbreak of the French Revolution and subsequent signing of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which were based upon the idea of liberty, equality, and fraternity for all men, sparked tension in the colony as abolitionists and enslaved people became more radical while the ruling class attempted to tighten its grip on power. The rebellion began in earnest on the night of 21 August 1791 and, following years of bloody fighting, ultimately led to the independence of Haiti in 1804.