"The fires of liberty": American abolitionist perspectives on the Haitian revolution, 1791-1806

This article explores how American abolitionists reacted to the Haitian Revolution between the start of the Revolution in 1791 till the passage of Congressional legislation banning trade with Haiti in 1806. Abolitionists' reactions to the Revolution illustrate some of the unifying and dividing...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAmerican nineteenth century history Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 171 - 194
Main Author Swanson, Robert
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 03.05.2024
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
American Abolition
Antislavery
Atlantic World
Haitian Revolution
Legislation
Radicalism
Slavery
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Summary:This article explores how American abolitionists reacted to the Haitian Revolution between the start of the Revolution in 1791 till the passage of Congressional legislation banning trade with Haiti in 1806. Abolitionists' reactions to the Revolution illustrate some of the unifying and dividing ideas deeply imbedded within the abolition movement. The Haitian Revolution did not create the divisions between abolitionists, but rather brought to the forefront divides that had already existed from the formation of the movement. Importantly, this article illustrates how dichotomic framings of American abolitionism as either radical or conservative are insufficient to explain the diversity of thought within the movement, as reflected in abolitionists' reactions to Haiti.
ISSN:1466-4658
1743-7903
DOI:10.1080/14664658.2024.2361532