461:
insurrection had begun in August 1791. Their emancipation was a momentous victory for all slave forces, and oral histories suggest a boost in their morale. On June 24, 1793, 60% of the white population left Saint-Domingue with
Galbaud, most never to return. On August 29, 1793, with rumors of emancipation rampant, Sonthonax took the radical step of proclaiming the freedom of the slaves in the north province (with severe limits on their freedom). From August 27 to October 31, 1793, on his side, Polverel progressively emancipated the slaves in the west and south provinces.
278:(mixed-race residents of the colony) asserted that they could form the military backbone of Saint-Domingue if they were given rights, but Sonthonax rejected this view as outdated in the wake of the August 1791 slave uprising. He believed that Saint-Domingue would need ex-slave soldiers among the ranks of the colonial army if it was to survive. On August 1793, he proclaimed freedom for all slaves in the north province. His critics allege that he was forced into ending slavery in order to maintain his own power.
381:. The expedition included 6,000 soldiers. The commissioners found that many of the white planters were hostile to the increasingly radical revolutionary movement and were joining the royalist opposition. They announced that they did not intend to abolish slavery, but had come to ensure that free men had equal rights whatever their color. D'Esparbes worked against the commissioners and became popular with the royalist planters. On 21 October 1792, the commissioners dismissed d'Esparbès and named the
401:
slaves to return to the plantations. Sonthonax had initially decried the abolition of slavery to gain the support of the whites on the island. Upon his arrival, he found that some whites and free people of color were already cooperating against the slave rebels. He did exile many radical whites who would not accept free coloreds as equals and managed to contain the slave insurgency outside of the North.
31:
473:. Due to the fact that they were under a decree of accusation, on that day, Sonthonax and Polverel’s names were not pronounced in the convention, not even by Dufay, the deputy of Saint-Domingue sent by Sonthonax to explain to the deputies of the convention why slavery had been abolished in the colony.
501:
Toussaint, in the meantime, was consolidating his own position. The black general arranged for
Sonthonax to leave Saint-Domingue as one of its elected representatives in 1797. When Sonthonax showed himself to be hesitant, Toussaint placed him under armed escort onto a ship bound for France on August
488:
A change in the political winds back home caused
Sonthonax to be recalled to France to defend his actions. Upon his arrival in the summer of 1794, he argued that the free people of colour, whom he had been originally sent to defend, were no longer loyal to France, and that the Republic should place
404:
Sonthonax and
Polverel were sent to Saint-Domingue, as they proclaimed when they arrived, not to abolish slavery but to give to the free men, regardless of the color of their skin, equality of rights, granted to them by the decree of April 4, 1792. But ultimately, all slaves in the north province
400:
as part of the decree of 4 April 1792. The legislation re-established French control of Saint-Domingue, granted full citizenship and political equality to free male blacks and free male mulattoes, but did not emancipate the slaves. Instead, he was tasked to defeat slave rebellions and induce the
259:
rulers of Saint-Domingue's non-slave population. Because they were associated with
Brissot’s party, they were put in accusation by the convention on July 16, 1793, but a ship to bring them back in France didn’t arrive in the colony until June 1794, and they arrived in France in the time of the
468:
began reforming his political philosophy to embrace France rather than Spain; however, he was cautious and awaited French ratification of emancipation before officially changing sides. On
February 4, 1794, the French National Convention ratified this act, applying it to all French colonies,
460:
governor and expelled
Galbaud from the colony after a promise of freedom for ex-slaves who agreed to fight on behalf of the commissioners and the French republican regime they represented. Up to this point the commissioners had still been pursuing the fight against the black slaves, whose
405:
were granted freedom on August 29, 1793, by
Sonthonax, and in the west and south provinces, from August 27 to 31 October, 1793, by Polverel. Following the proclamation, Sonthonax wrote a reply to those that were opposed to his and
522:
Proclamation. Au nom de la République. : Nous Léger-Félicité Sonthonax, commissaire civil de la République, délégué aux Iles françaises de l'Amérique sous le vent, pour y rétablir l'ordre & la tranquillité
480:
who opposed the abolition of slavery in the colony, many of them being planters themselves. It was not until word of the ratification of emancipation by the French government arrived back in the colony that
769:"Proclamation. In the Name of the Republic. We, Etienne Polverel and Léger-Félicité Sonthonax, Civil Officers of the Republic, Whom the French Nation Sent to this Country to Establish Law and Order"
310:. Sonthonax's wealth was due to his father's business, which employed many people from the region, and had made his father the richest man of the village. Sonthonax finished his studies at the
531:
Copies des lettres écrites au
Ministre de la Marine, par le citoyen Santhonax, commissaire civil délégué à St Domingue, en date du Cap-Français, le 11 février 1793, l'an I de la République
260:
downfall of
Robespierre. They had a fair trial in 1795 and were acquitted of the charges the white colonists brought against them. Sonthonax believed that Saint-Domingue's whites were
417:
explained his role in the Revolution. He was committed to make drastic decisions to prevent Britain and Spain from succeeding in their attempts to assume control over Saint-Domingue.
514:
Proclamation nous, Étienne Polverel & Léger Félicité Sonthonax, commissaires civils, que nation française voyé dans pays-ci, pour mettre l'ordre et la tranquillité tout par-tout
976:
Motion d'ordre prononcée au Conseil des cinq-cents par Sonthonax, député de St. Domingue, sur le sort des colons restés fidèles à la République dans la séance du 12 Germinal, An VI
1019:
476:
The enslaved population of Saint-Domingue did not flock to Sonthonax's side as he had anticipated, while white planters continued to resist him. They were joined by many of the
354:
colonists and free people of colour (many of whom were of mixed race), and also between those supportive of the French Revolution and those for a re-establishment of the
433:, which presented a new problem for Sonthonax. All those he had alienated in trying to uphold the French Revolution in Saint-Domingue proceeded to try and flee to the
790:
382:
366:
84:
841:
426:
1094:
61:
378:
1034:
457:
119:
1084:
1074:
539:
Sonthonax, commissaire-civil de la République française à Saint-Domingue a la société des amis de la liberté & de l'égalité ...
928:
901:
874:
485:
and his corps of well-disciplined, battle-hardened former slaves came over to the French Republican side in early May 1794.
1079:
315:
1089:
456:). The burning was likely done by the roughly 1,000 non-native sailors among Galbaud's forces. Sonthonax made General
96:
657:
609:
413:
should be granted to these Africans and defends his decision to free the slaves was not erroneous to do. Sonthonax's
448:
On 20 June 1793 a failed attempt to take control of the capital by a new military governor sympathetic to whites,
1020:"The Citizenship Experiment Contesting the Limits of Civic Equality and Participation in the Age of Revolutions"
1069:
845:
547:
Motion d'ordre faite par Sonthonax, sur la résolution du 27 thermidor dernier, relative aux domaines engagés
409:'s decision in 1793 to grant these select slaves this new freedom. He declares his never ending belief that
1064:
969:
445:. The white population in the colony declined significantly until only 6,000 remained after June 1793.
374:
574:
537:
529:
520:
449:
343:
553:
489:
its faith in the freed slaves. Vindicated, Sonthonax returned to Saint-Domingue a second time. The
430:
512:
490:
139:
649:
642:
319:
311:
230:
214:
918:
891:
864:
502:
24. He died in his home town of Oyonnax on July 23, 1813, after sixteen years back in France.
470:
253:. His official title was Civil Commissioner. From September 1792, he and Polverel became the
1059:
1054:
482:
477:
465:
131:
8:
945:
434:
397:
362:
268:, so he attacked the military power of the white settlers and by doing so alienated the
347:
339:
250:
464:
It was during this time, and due to the new trend of conceding rights to blacks, that
924:
897:
870:
653:
605:
438:
307:
242:
493:
was sent by France to be governor of the island, but was eventually forced to flee.
314:, becoming a well-known lawyer with the help of his wealthy father. A member of the
441:), where the colonial authorities gave shelter to the French counter-revolutionary
355:
676:
389:
388:
Their main goal was to maintain French control of Saint-Domingue and enforce the
335:
274:
377:, who had been appointed governor of Saint-Domingue. He was to replace governor
351:
246:
545:
453:
1048:
410:
269:
1006:
997:
988:
979:
825:
810:
753:
624:
920:
Facing Racial Revolution: Eyewitness Accounts of the Haitian Insurrection
442:
1003:
Impostures de Sonthonax et Polverel dévoilées à la Convention nationale
265:
555:
Sonthonax, représentant du peuple, à ses collègues du Corps législatif
893:
Revolutions in the Atlantic World, New Edition: A Comparative History
768:
323:
299:
238:
294:
on March 7, 1763, the son of a prosperous merchant, Sonthonax was a
406:
373:) as part of the First Civil Commission. They were accompanied by
261:
255:
370:
287:
234:
186:
295:
291:
190:
866:
Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution
994:
La perte d'une colonie : la révolution de Saint-Domingue
303:
358:— or failing that, for Saint-Domingue's independence.
30:
648:(Revised ed.). New York: Facts on File, Inc. pp.
602:
Leger Felicite Sonthonax: The Lost Sentinel of the Republic
452:, led to the bombardment and burning of Cap-Français (now
350:. Saint-Domingue was also wracked by conflict between the
725:
723:
830:
La Révolution française, Saint-Domingue et l’esclavage
815:
La Révolution française, Saint-Domingue et l’esclavage
756:
La Révolution française, Saint-Domingue et l’esclavage
720:
629:
La Révolution française, Saint-Domingue et l’esclavage
735:
708:
35:
Late 18th-century oil painting portrait of Sonthonax
950:(in French), Centre de recherches historiques EHESS
346:of Saint-Domingue, the heart of the island's sugar
987:, Paris, Librairie militaire de L. Baudoin, 1891.
641:
698:
696:
677:"G.H.C. Bulletin 20 : Octobre 1990 Page 204"
1046:
369:were sent to the colony of Saint-Domingue (now
693:
604:. Rutherford: Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press.
420:
1027:Studies in the History of Political Thought
229:(7 March 1763 – 23 July 1813) was a French
56:18 September 1792 – 24 August 1797
639:
322:and subsequently aligned himself with the
29:
16:French activist and politician (1763–1813)
379:Philibert François Rouxel de Blanchelande
241:party, which emerged in 1791. During the
1017:
889:
729:
826:https://independent.academia.edu/HOELWA
811:https://independent.academia.edu/HOELWA
625:https://independent.academia.edu/HOELWA
245:, he controlled 7,000 French troops in
120:Étienne Maynaud de Bizefranc de Laveaux
1095:Members of the Council of Five Hundred
1047:
916:
862:
788:
741:
714:
152:14 October 1795 – 19 May 1799
45:Commissioner of Saint-Domingue (North)
947:Esparbès, Jean Jacques d' (1720–1810)
599:
272:settlers from their government. Many
109:11 May 1796 – 24 August 1797
671:
669:
415:Proclamation Au nom de la République
385:governor general of Saint-Domingue.
316:Society of the Friends of the Blacks
74:2 January 1793 – 7 May 1793
943:
702:
496:
361:In 1792, Léger-Félicité Sonthonax,
13:
1011:
1001:Clausson L. J. et Millet, Thomas.
842:"The Haitian Revolution, Part III"
761:
14:
1106:
962:
666:
306:who rose in the ranks during the
1085:People of the Haitian Revolution
644:A Brief History of the Caribbean
1075:People of the French Revolution
923:, University of Chicago Press,
834:
819:
804:
782:
747:
505:
97:François-Thomas Galbaud du Fort
983:Réveillère, Paul-Emile-Marie.
633:
618:
593:
567:
1:
992:Castonnet des Fossés, Henri.
281:
869:, Harvard University Press,
791:"Sonthonax Broadside (1793)"
7:
1080:Governors of Saint-Domingue
974:Sonthonax, Léger-Félicité.
575:"Léger, Félicité Sonthonax"
318:, he became connected with
10:
1111:
1090:People from Saint-Domingue
996:, Paris, A. Faivre, 1893.
917:Popkin, Jeremy D. (2010),
855:
329:
62:Governor of Saint-Domingue
425:In February 1793, France
421:Emancipation and conflict
392:recently granted to free
220:
210:
196:
173:
168:
164:
156:
145:
137:
125:
113:
102:
90:
78:
67:
60:
49:
44:
40:
28:
21:
970:Léger Félicité Sonthonax
968:The Louverture Project:
863:Dubois, Laurent (2009),
640:Rogozinski, Jan (1999).
561:
227:Léger-Félicité Sonthonax
23:Léger-Félicité Sonthonax
1018:Koekkoek, René (2020).
450:François-Thomas Galbaud
375:Jean-Jacques d'Esparbes
140:Council of Five Hundred
890:Klooster, Wim (2018),
789:Abidor, Mitch (2004).
600:Stein, Robert (1985).
320:Jacques Pierre Brissot
985:Polvérel et Santhonax
383:vicomte de Rochambeau
85:Vicomte de Rochambeau
1070:French abolitionists
483:Toussaint Louverture
466:Toussaint Louverture
367:Jean-Antoine Ailhaud
132:Toussaint Louverture
1065:People from Oyonnax
579:Assemblée nationale
435:British West Indies
398:National Convention
342:) broke out in the
312:University of Dijon
249:during part of the
237:before joining the
944:Poublan, Danièle,
491:Comte d'Hédouville
348:plantation economy
340:Haitian Revolution
334:In August 1791, a
251:Haitian Revolution
930:978-0-226-67585-5
903:978-1-4798-8240-3
876:978-0-674-03436-5
681:www.ghcaraibe.org
478:free men of color
308:French Revolution
243:French Revolution
224:
223:
1102:
1041:
1040:on 18 July 2021.
1039:
1033:. Archived from
1024:
957:
956:
955:
940:
939:
937:
913:
912:
910:
886:
885:
883:
850:
849:
844:. Archived from
838:
832:
823:
817:
808:
802:
801:
795:
786:
780:
779:
777:
776:
765:
759:
751:
745:
739:
733:
727:
718:
712:
706:
700:
691:
690:
688:
687:
673:
664:
663:
647:
637:
631:
622:
616:
615:
597:
591:
590:
588:
586:
571:
497:Return to France
363:Étienne Polverel
203:
183:
181:
169:Personal details
150:
128:
116:
107:
93:
81:
72:
54:
33:
19:
18:
1110:
1109:
1105:
1104:
1103:
1101:
1100:
1099:
1045:
1044:
1037:
1022:
1014:
1012:Further reading
965:
960:
953:
951:
935:
933:
931:
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858:
853:
840:
839:
835:
824:
820:
809:
805:
793:
787:
783:
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772:
767:
766:
762:
752:
748:
740:
736:
728:
721:
713:
709:
701:
694:
685:
683:
675:
674:
667:
660:
638:
634:
623:
619:
612:
598:
594:
584:
582:
573:
572:
568:
564:
508:
499:
458:Étienne Laveaux
423:
394:gens de couleur
390:social equality
336:slave rebellion
332:
284:
275:gens de couleur
206:Oyonnax, France
205:
201:
185:
179:
177:
151:
146:
126:
114:
108:
103:
91:
79:
73:
68:
55:
50:
36:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1108:
1098:
1097:
1092:
1087:
1082:
1077:
1072:
1067:
1062:
1057:
1043:
1042:
1013:
1010:
1009:
1008:
999:
990:
981:
972:
964:
963:External links
961:
959:
958:
941:
929:
914:
902:
887:
875:
859:
857:
854:
852:
851:
848:on 2007-07-03.
833:
818:
803:
781:
760:
746:
744:, p. 144.
734:
732:, p. 109.
719:
717:, p. 156.
707:
692:
665:
658:
632:
617:
610:
592:
565:
563:
560:
559:
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550:
542:
534:
526:
517:
507:
504:
498:
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422:
419:
396:by the French
331:
328:
283:
280:
247:Saint-Domingue
222:
221:
218:
217:
212:
208:
207:
204:(aged 50)
198:
194:
193:
175:
171:
170:
166:
165:
162:
161:
160:Saint-Domingue
158:
154:
153:
143:
142:
138:Deputy in the
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117:
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42:
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38:
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26:
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967:
966:
949:
948:
942:
932:
926:
922:
921:
915:
905:
899:
896:, NYU Press,
895:
894:
888:
878:
872:
868:
867:
861:
860:
847:
843:
837:
831:
827:
822:
816:
812:
807:
799:
792:
785:
770:
764:
758:
757:
750:
743:
738:
731:
730:Klooster 2018
726:
724:
716:
711:
704:
699:
697:
682:
678:
672:
670:
661:
659:0-8160-3811-2
655:
651:
646:
645:
636:
630:
626:
621:
613:
611:0-8386-3218-1
607:
603:
596:
580:
576:
570:
566:
557:
556:
551:
549:
548:
543:
541:
540:
535:
533:
532:
527:
525:
524:
518:
516:
515:
510:
509:
503:
494:
492:
486:
484:
479:
474:
472:
467:
462:
459:
455:
451:
446:
444:
440:
436:
432:
431:Great Britain
428:
418:
416:
412:
408:
402:
399:
395:
391:
386:
384:
380:
376:
372:
368:
364:
359:
357:
356:Ancien Régime
353:
349:
345:
344:northern part
341:
337:
327:
325:
321:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
297:
293:
289:
279:
277:
276:
271:
267:
263:
258:
257:
252:
248:
244:
240:
236:
232:
228:
219:
216:
213:
209:
200:July 23, 1813
199:
195:
192:
188:
184:March 7, 1763
176:
172:
167:
163:
159:
155:
149:
144:
141:
136:
133:
130:
124:
121:
118:
112:
106:
101:
98:
95:
89:
86:
83:
77:
71:
66:
63:
59:
53:
48:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
1035:the original
1030:
1026:
1002:
993:
984:
975:
952:, retrieved
946:
934:, retrieved
919:
907:, retrieved
892:
880:, retrieved
865:
846:the original
836:
829:
821:
814:
806:
798:marxists.org
797:
784:
773:. Retrieved
771:. 1793-05-05
763:
755:
749:
737:
710:
684:. Retrieved
680:
643:
635:
628:
620:
601:
595:
583:. Retrieved
578:
569:
554:
546:
538:
530:
521:
513:
506:Bibliography
500:
487:
475:
463:
447:
427:declared war
424:
414:
411:civil rights
403:
393:
387:
360:
333:
285:
273:
254:
231:abolitionist
226:
225:
215:Abolitionist
202:(1813-07-23)
157:Constituency
147:
127:Succeeded by
104:
92:Succeeded by
69:
51:
1060:1813 deaths
1055:1763 births
742:Dubois 2009
715:Popkin 2010
581:(in French)
454:Cap-Haïtien
437:(primarily
266:separatists
115:Preceded by
80:Preceded by
1049:Categories
1005:, , 1794.
978:, , 1798.
954:2019-11-02
936:2 November
909:2 November
882:31 October
775:2017-02-21
686:2017-02-26
471:Guadeloupe
469:including
324:Girondists
282:Early life
211:Occupation
180:1763-03-07
300:Parlement
262:royalists
239:Girondist
148:In office
105:In office
70:In office
52:In office
523:publique
407:Polverel
286:Born in
270:colonial
256:de facto
856:Sources
703:Poublan
650:167–168
585:13 June
552:1799 –
544:1798 –
536:1793 –
528:1793 –
519:1793 –
511:1793 –
443:émigrés
439:Jamaica
330:Mission
298:in the
288:Oyonnax
235:Jacobin
187:Oyonnax
927:
900:
873:
828:Hoel,
813:Hoel,
754:Hoel,
656:
627:Hoel,
608:
296:lawyer
292:France
191:France
1038:(PDF)
1023:(PDF)
794:(PDF)
562:Notes
371:Haïti
352:white
338:(the
304:Paris
938:2019
925:ISBN
911:2019
898:ISBN
884:2019
871:ISBN
654:ISBN
606:ISBN
587:2021
365:and
233:and
197:Died
174:Born
429:on
302:of
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