On This Day
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Slaves in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti) are freed

Saint-Domingue was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1803.

Saint-Domingue was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1803. The name derives from the Spanish main city on the island, Santo Domingo, which came to refer specifically to the Spanish-held Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, now the Dominican Republic. The borders between the two were fluid and changed over time until they were finally solidified in the Dominican War of Independence in 1844.

The French had established themselves on the western portion of the islands of Hispaniola and Tortuga thanks to the Devastations of Osorio. In the Treaty of Ryswick of 1697, Spain formally recognized French control of Tortuga Island and the western third of the island of Hispaniola.

Historical Significance

Saint-Domingue was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1803.

Events Before

  1. US postal service created, postage 6-12 cents depending on distance

    US postal service created, postage 6-12 cents depending on distance

  2. King Gustav III of Sweden is shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a masked ball at the opera and dies on March 29

    Jacob Johan Anckarström (11 May 1762 – 27 April 1792) was a Swedish military officer who is known as the assassin of King Gustav III of Sweden. He was convicted and executed for regicide.

  3. The Coinage Act is passed, establishing the United States Mint and authorizing the $10 Eagle, $5 Half-Eagle, $2.50 Quart

    The Coinage Act is passed, establishing the United States Mint and authorizing the $10 Eagle, $5 Half-Eagle, $2.50 Quarter-Eagle gold coins, and the silver dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, and half-dime

  4. Brazilian revolutionary Tiradentes is hanged, drawn, and quartered in Rio de Janeiro

    Brazilian revolutionary Tiradentes is hanged, drawn, and quartered in Rio de Janeiro

  5. Guillotine first used in France, executes highwayman Nicolas Pelletier

    Nicolas Jacques Pelletier (1756 – 25 April 1792) was a French highwayman who was the first person to be executed by guillotine.

Events After

  1. Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin, revolutionizing the cotton industry in the southern US states [1]

    Eli Whitney Jr. (December 8, 1765 – January 8, 1825) was an American inventor, widely known for inventing the cotton gin in 1793, one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution that shaped...

  2. Naval Act of 1794 is signed by President George Washington, authorizing the building of six frigates and establishing a

    Naval Act of 1794 is signed by President George Washington, authorizing the building of six frigates and establishing a permanent US Navy

  3. Battle of Fleurus: Major victory by forces of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan over the Coa

    Battle of Fleurus: Major victory by forces of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan over the Coalition Army (Great Britain, Hanover, Dutch Republic, and Habsburgs) with the first use of a reconnaissance balloon

  4. French Revolutionary figure Maximilien Robespierre and 22 other leaders of "the Terror" are guillotined to thunderous ch

    French Revolutionary figure Maximilien Robespierre and 22 other leaders of "the Terror" are guillotined to thunderous cheers in Paris

  5. 4th US President James Madison (43) weds Dolley Madison (26) in Jefferson County, West Virginia

    4th US President James Madison (43) weds Dolley Madison (26) in Jefferson County, West Virginia

More from the 1790s

Albany replaces New York City as the capital of New York

Albany ( AWL-bə-nee) is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York. It is also the county seat of, and the most populous city in, Albany County.

Russia appoints first Jewish censor to censor Hebrew books

Russia appoints first Jewish censor to censor Hebrew books

First US President George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address

The 1790 State of the Union Address was the inaugural State of the Union address, delivered by President George Washington to the United States Congress on January 8, 1790, at the Senate Chamber of…

French King Louis XVI sentenced to death by the National Convention during the French Revolution

Louis XVI was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 29, 1793?
Saint-Domingue was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1803. The name derives from the Spanish main city on the island, Santo Domingo, which came to refer specifically to the Spanish-held Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, now the Dominican Republic. The borders between the two were fluid and changed over time until they were finally solidified in the Dominican War of Independence in 1844.
Why is Slaves in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti) are freed significant?
Saint-Domingue was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1803.

Explore More

August 29 in HistoryYear 1793