The Haitian Revolution-A History from Below

Haitian Revolution-A History from Below Book Description The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) is one of the most radical revolutions, perhaps the most radical. Its radicalism is due to the fact that it was the first and last slave revolution in world history; In other words, it stems from the fact that Black people, who were kidnapped in Africa and sold to Europeans, enslaved, not even considered human, and subjected to all kinds of violence, exploitation and humiliation, took their own destiny into their own hands and ended slavery. The Haitian Revolution, one of the first anti-colonial wars of independence in the modern world, is also one of the revolutions with the largest impact in world history. The shared fate of Black people due to their skin color (being the primary victims of racism, colonialism and capitalism) began to transform into a universal Black consciousness only with the Haitian Revolution. Black internationalism, which would take many forms in the 20th century, has its origins in the Haitian Revolution. As a matter of fact, one of the most important factors behind the colonial powers' abolition of slavery - in addition to the fact that slavery was no longer profitable - was their concern about the spread of the Haitian Revolution. The sum of all these real and potential effects suggests that there are important similarities between the Haitian Revolution in the 18th century and the Cuban Revolution in the 20th century. The systematic punishment of independent Haiti by the White civilization and the parallel disregard of the Revolution by the White thought for a long time should also be considered in this context. It is not possible to consider the tragic history of Haiti before and after the revolution separately from the capitalist, colonialist and racist character of the modern world. We are pleased to present to readers one of the most important and interesting books about this world-historical event in a careful translation. - Barış Ünlü (From the Promotional Bulletin)