Final Essay Options

There are two options for this final essay depending on the level and particular interests of your students. The first option is a more structured and guided essay assessing the divergent definitions of freedom during the Haitian Revolution, the other offers students an opportunity to create their own research question based on the sources read. 

Option 1: 

For this essay students will be choosing their own question to answer about the Haitian Revolution. Once they have chosen their question and brainstormed some ideas on how to answer the question they should turn to the resources studies  to identify evidence to support their claims. the attached sheet should be help them begin to organize their thoughts before they write a full paper. Some essay ideas:

1. What effect did the Haitian Revolution have on the institution of slavery?

2. At the end of the Haitian Revolution, who held power in making decisions for Saint-Domingue’s future? How could they exercise this power?

3. Was the Haitian Revolution successful?

Option 2: 

Students should consider the different options on both sides of the Atlantic in 1801. How did different groups view the future of Saint-Domingue? What did people in Saint-Domingue want? What did people in France want? How would the different Saint- Domingue options affect Saint-Domingue’s relationship with France? How would they affect the people of France? How would the different French options affect people in Saint- Domingue?

Many of the causes of the Haitian Revolution are tied to the different understandings of freedom. The rebel leaders (divided within themselves), the masses, the French and the colonists all had varying ideas of how to exercise freedom through different economies, government systems, as well as different foreign relations. In order to get to the root of main causes of the revolution it is critical to analyze differing interpretations of freedom. For this paper students will explain what freedom meant for the different groups in Saint Dominigue and describe how these competing differences fueled the Haitian Revolution.