JOURNAL ARTICLE

'Un jugement politique': race, policy and punishment in colonial Saint-Domingue before 1789.

Published In: French History, 2024, v. 38, n. 2. P. 179 1 of 3
Database: Historical Abstracts with Full Text 2 of 3
Authored By: Christie, Nancy; Gauvreau, Michael 3 of 3

Abstract

This article focuses on the 1787 trial of Félicité, an enslaved woman in Port-au-Prince, Saint-Domingue, who was convicted of theft and arson and sentenced to death. The case is notable for providing one of the few complete surviving records of slave testimony from the colony, revealing insights into the social and economic lives of urban slaves, the concept of marronage (runaway slavery), and the complex relations between slaves and free people of colour. The trial also exposes tensions within the white colonial governing class, particularly regarding the interplay between humanitarian concerns and judicial decisions. Ultimately, the protracted legal proceedings and intervention by colonial administrators highlight the political nature of the case on the eve of the Haitian Revolution.

Additional Information

Source:French History. 2024/06, Vol. 38, Issue 2, p179
Document Type:Article
Subject Area:Literature and Writing
Publication Date:2024
ISSN:0269-1191
DOI:10.1093/fh/crad038
Accession Number:178738790
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