Paper pushed back: Due Thurs., Oct. 25

If you weren’t in class — here’s the good news [see title] I realized that a number of people were choosing primary sources based on the amount of factual information they contained –names, dates, events. For this reason,  a lot of people were writing on Thomas Clarkson’s document, because he gives a mini history of the revolution. But that isn’t the point!

You DO need to read a mini-history of the revolution — that is what the introduction is for! The primary source documents are your chance to uncover the hidden meanings behind events. They don’t make that much sense if you read them to see “what happened.” Where they do make sense is if you read them to see why people acted, the motivations and explanations they attach to their actions.

With that in mind, we had a discussion and came up with a short list of sources that would be especially good to use. You can certainly use any primary source you want! But with these, you are sure to find something interesting to write about.

Section 1: how the revolution gets started

• Julien Raimond’s Observations: tells us about motivations of free people of color (so do Vincent Ogé’s letters, or the free colored address to the French National Assembly)
• Martinique rebels of 1789: tells us about slaves’ vision, their use of “nation”, their awareness of change
• Letter from Jean François and Biassou in 1791:
• Sonthonax abolishes slavery

Section 2: defending and prolonging the dream of the revolution

• Toussaint’s “Refutation of the 8 assertions” — shows how St Domingue’s leaders saw themselves as part of the Revolution; saw the future
• Polverel’s plantation policies: shows how French leaders envisioned keeping the plantation system going
• Council of 500: shows France enacting its new constitution to include Saint Domingue

Section 3: France changes its mind about Guadeloupe and Saint-Domingue

• Bonaparte’s instructions to Leclerc
• Cangé’s letter to Delpech
• Haitian Declaration of Independence