The Haitian Revolution and King Henri Christophe

Dan Snow's History Hit

In the summer of 1791, thousands of enslaved people in Saint Domingue, as Haiti was then known, cast aside their shackles and revolted against French colonial rule. The Haitian Revolution lasted for over a decade, and Haiti became the first independent country to be founded by former enslaved people.

Among the key leaders of the revolution was a man named Henri Christophe. Born an enslaved person, Christophe served in the American Revolutionary War, fought in the Haitian Revolution and became Haiti's first and only king. But what happened during the Haitian Revolution? And how did Christophe make himself king of the first free black nation in the Americas?

Dan is joined by Paul Clammer, author of Black Crown: Henry Christophe, the Haitian Revolution and the Caribbean's Forgotten Kingdom, to guide us through this extraordinary tale.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.

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