Saint-Domingue
| Saint-Domingue | |
|---|---|
| Republic of Saint-Domingue | |
| Established | Colony of Saint-Domingue (1659-1865)
French Annexation of Santo Domingue (1761) Republic of Saint-Domingue (1865-present) |
| Capital | Port-au-Prince |
| Largest City |
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| Population | 25 Million |
| Government Type | Republic |
| Area | 76,192 km2 |
| Languages |
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| Currency |
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History
This is summary of Saint-Domingue's history. See History of Saint-Domingue for the unabridged and complete history.
Early French Colonization of Hispaniola
Annexation of Santo Domingo
Colonial Reform
During the French revolution and the subsequent rule of Austino the British took control of the island after the battle of Santo-Domingo. The British found it hard to manage and the free black, mixed race and white Francophone populations resentful of British rule. During the Congress of Vienna the island was returned to French rule. When the French returned to the colony they found the islanders increasingly rebellious and after a aborted revolution in 1815 agreed to the colonials demands of increased autonomy of internal affairs, increased representation of the colony in the form of a locally elected governor and full equal rights to mixed race Domingues. During the next decade the colony became very prosperous once again after the chaos of revolution. In 1832, after a slave revolt that captured the north-western region of the island was put down, the French colonial governor implemented slave protection laws to try to improve working conditions for slaves on sugar plantations and to decrease the risk of slave revolts. During the 1850’s abolitionist sentiments swept the colony and after a massive slave revolt spurred on by news of South Tussenlandts independence the Governor General of Saint-Domingue Jean-Michel de Lepinay declared all slaves on the island free on March 18th 1853.The French republic was threatened by this news, as the governor didn’t get approval of manumission through the French Government. French navy was sent to Port-au-Prince that summer, but after a few weeks of tension the French government backed down and ratified the manumission of all slaves in the empire, the abolishment of slavery and a token payment of restitution to former slaveowners.