2. Do Now
What was life like for enslaved people in Saint
Domingue?
a) In what ways was the enslaved community
diverse? What challenges did enslaved
people face?
b) How did owners or overseers treat their
slaves?
c) What was day to day life for enslaved
people?
d) How did they cope with the challenges they
faced?
3. In Pairs
What happened in the early months of the 1791
revolt in the north?
How did enslaved people respond? How did
whites respond?
What do you think it would have been like to be an
enslaved person at the time?
What options did enslaved people have when the
revolt started?
4. Considering Individual
Perspectives
You are going to consider what it was like to be an enslaved
person at the outbreak of the revolt in 1791.
Everyone will be given an “enslaved character profile.” Pay
close attention to the information on your profile and
make note of whether you live in Limbe, Plaisance, or the
maroon community.
You will then complete a series of journal entries from the
perspective of the enslaved person you have been assigned.
5. Things to Keep in Mind
1. The success of the revolution is not a
foregone conclusion. There have been slave
revolts before, and they were all put down.
2. In 1791, rebel leaders were demanding
improvements in working conditions, not an
end to slavery.
3. Most masters held absolute power and
responded to any disobedience with violent
punishments.
6. Questions to Consider
1. What would be the costs of rising up against
them?
2. If the revolt failed, what would happen to
those who had left their plantations and
fought against the whites? Would they be
caught and killed? Would they have to answer
for the destruction that had been
caused?Would they be forced to live as
fugitives in a maroon community?
3. If they succeeded, would the results be any
different?
7. Journal Entry #1
Write a journal entry describing
what daily life is like for your
character. Try to include details
such as what you spend your days
doing, what relationships you
have with other enslaved people
and colonists, and how you feel
about your circumstances.
8. Journal Entry #2
News of revolt reaches the enslaved people in
Limbe, Plaisance, and the maroon
community.
On the sugar plantations in Plaisance, a
commandeur is caught setting fire to the cane
fields. Enslaved people in Plaisance must
decide whether to help the commandeur, help
the white overseer, run away to a maroon
community or join the rebel army.
9. Journal Entry #2 Continued
On the sugar plantation in Limbe, a
commandeur has been charged with
conspiring with the rebel army and sentenced
to death. It is likely that the master will
suspect other slaves and torture them for
more information. Enslaved people in Limbe
must decide whether to stay on the plantation
or runaway to the maroon community or the
rebel army.
10. Journal Entry #2 Continued
Maroons in the north have heard of the nearby
revolt. If you are a maroon, will you remain
where you are or join the rebel army?
Remember that many of you have family and
friends on that plantations that are in revolt.
11. Journal Entry #3
The rebel armies have reached Limbe and
Plaisance. They plan to set the
plantations on fire and kill all the
whites. At the same time, there are
reports that the colonial authorities
have led attacks against rebel army
camps and maroon communities
suspected of harboring rebels.
Hundreds have been massacred,
including women and children.
12. Any enslaved people remaining on plantations
must decide whether to join the rebel army,
runaway to a maroon community, or remain on
the plantations.
Enslaved people who are maroons or who have
joined the rebel army must decided what they
will do in response to the news. Will they
continue the course they have chosen? Lead
attacks against whites? Try to cross the border
to Spanish Santo Domingo? Run away to other
maroon communities in the south?
13. Discussion Questions
-What decisions do you think were the hardest?
-What factors did you try to consider when
making decisions?
-In the end, why do you think some people
joined the fight? Why do you think some
people made different choices?
