The 1803 Siege of Jacmel: Haiti's Forgotten Blockade

Haiti's 1803 Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot: The Bloody Siege

In March 1802, as Napoleon's massive expedition under General Leclerc landed in Saint-Domingue, a small fort called Crête-à-Pierrot became the stage for one of the most desperate defenses of the Haitian Revolution. This episode focuses on the eighteen-day siege where Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Toussaint Louverture's most trusted general, held off thousands of French troops while the enslaved population of the Plaine du Nord rose up in support. We explore the tactical decisions, the role of women like Marie-Jeanne Lamartinière who fought alongside the men, and the devastating cost in lives on both sides. The battle was a turning point that showed the French that victory would not come easily. We also discuss the controversial order by Dessalines to execute French prisoners after the siege, and how this brutal episode shaped the later massacres of 1804. Featuring firsthand accounts from French officers and Haitian historians, this episode offers a ground-level view of a battle that changed the course of the revolution. #Crête-à-Pierrot #Dessalines #HaitianRevolution #SaintDomingue #Napoleon #Leclerc #ToussaintLouverture #MarieJeanneLamartinière #PlaineDuNord #1802 #FortLaCrête #Artibonite #Siege #History #FexingoHistory #CaribbeanHistory #MilitaryHistory #Haiti Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Haiti's 1802 Leclerc Expedition: Napoleon's Failed Invasion

In 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte sent his brother-in-law, General Charles Leclerc, with the largest French fleet ever assembled to crush the Haitian Revolution and restore slavery in Saint-Domingue. This episode follows the brutal campaign from its deceptive landing at Cap-Français to the scorched-earth resistance led by Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines. We explore key battles like the Siege of Crête-à-Pierrot, the betrayal and capture of Toussaint, and the devastating yellow fever epidemic that decimated the French army. Learn how Napoleon's ambition to rebuild a North American empire—based on sugar revenue from Saint-Domingue—led him to sell Louisiana to the United States after Leclerc's failure. The episode also examines the role of the Polish Legion, who fought for France but later sided with the Haitian revolutionaries, and the ultimate French surrender at Vertières in 1803. This is the story of how Napoleon's grandest colonial expedition became a catastrophic defeat that reshaped the Americas. #HaitianRevolution #LeclercExpedition #Napoleon #ToussaintLouverture #Dessalines #CreteAPierrot #CapFrancais #YellowFever #PolishLegion #LouisianaPurchase #SaintDomingue #Slavery #Vertieres #19thCentury #CaribbeanHistory #Colonialism #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Haiti's 1803 Battle of Vertières: The Final Victory

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the climactic Battle of Vertières on November 18, 1803, the final confrontation that secured Haitian independence. They discuss the strategic genius of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the role of the Polish Legion who switched sides, and the leadership of François Capois ('Capois-La-Mort') whose legendary charge broke the French line. The conversation covers the siege of Cap-Français, Rochambeau's surrender terms, and the immediate aftermath including the proclamation of independence. The episode also touches on the disputed casualty figures and the legacy of Vertières as Haiti's national day of celebration. #BattleOfVertières #HaitianRevolution #JeanJacquesDessalines #FrançoisCapois #PolishLegion #DonatienDeRochambeau #CapFrançais #November18 #Independence #CaribbeanHistory #MilitaryHistory #SlaveryAndFreedom #Haiti #CapoisLaMort #Vertières #History #FexingoHistory #Revolution Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Dessalines' 1805 Constitution: Blackness and Citizenship

This episode of The Haitian Revolution podcast dives into the 1805 Imperial Constitution, Haiti's second founding document and one of the most radical legal texts of the 19th century. Lucas and Luna explore how Jean-Jacques Dessalines and his advisors—including Boisrond-Tonnerre and Juste Chanlatte—drafted a constitution that declared all Haitian citizens 'black' regardless of skin color, abolished racial hierarchy, nationalized land, and criminalized white European land ownership. They discuss the political context of the constitution—written just months after independence amid threats of French reconquest—and unpack controversial provisions like Article 12 (banning white ownership) and the state's strong executive powers. The conversation touches on the constitution's legacy, its rejection of colonial racial categories, and the debates among historians about its intent and impact. A thought-provoking look at how a new nation defined citizenship and sovereignty in the face of a hostile world. #HaitianRevolution #1805Constitution #Dessalines #BlackRepublic #CaribbeanHistory #Haiti #BoisrondTonnerre #JusteChanlatte #Citizenship #RacialEquality #Article12 #ImperialConstitution #Postcolonial #18thCentury #Caribbean #History #FexingoHistory #SaintDomingue Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Haiti's 1804 Independence Debt: The Price of Freedom

After defeating Napoleon's army and declaring independence in 1804, Haiti faced an impossible choice: pay France a massive indemnity to lift a trade embargo, or remain isolated and impoverished. This episode traces the origins of that debt, from the 1825 ordinance by King Charles X to the loans that drained Haiti's economy for over a century. We explore how France demanded 150 million francs—later reduced to 90 million—for the 'loss' of slaves and plantations, how Haiti was forced to borrow from French banks at usurious rates, and how that debt was finally paid off in 1947 but at the cost of generations of development. We also discuss the modern movement for reparative justice, including Jean-Bertrand Aristide's 2003 demand for restitution and the 2022 call by The New York Times for France to repay. Names like Charles X, Jean-Pierre Boyer, and Jean-Bertrand Aristide anchor the conversation, along with terms like indemnity, double debt, and economic servitude. #HaitianIndependenceDebt #Haiti1825 #CharlesX #JeanPierreBoyer #Reparations #FranceHaiti #DoubleDebt #EconomicServitude #Aristide #CarribbeanHistory #HaitianRevolution #SlaveryReparations #DebtHistory #NewYorkTimes2022 #Colonialism #History #FexingoHistory #RevolutionAftermath Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]