The Haitian Declaration of Independence
by Jean-Jacques Dessalines · Acte de l'Indépendance
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1804
- Language
- French
- Length
- Short · 5 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Approachable1 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Haitian Revolution: A Documentary HistoryHackett, 2014David Geggus's collection gives the declaration in full with the context of the war that produced it.
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Proclaimed at Gonaïves on 1 January 1804 after the defeat of Napoleon's army, and drafted for Dessalines by his secretary Louis Boisrond-Tonnerre. It renounces France forever, names the new nation Haiti after the island's indigenous name, recalls the cruelties of slavery and the war, and swears the generals and people to die rather than live again under French rule. Its language is far angrier than the American declaration it is often compared with.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Haitian Declaration of Independence are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
