Haitian Revolution: The 1791 Bois Caïman Uprising

The Atlantic Slave Trade: Empire Built on Human Suffering — Fexingo History · Jul 25, 2026 · 6m · transcript

In August 1791, on a sugar plantation in Saint-Domingue, enslaved people gathered for a secret vodou ceremony that would ignite the Haitian Revolution. This episode tells the story of the Bois Caïman ritual, led by the maroon leader Boukman Dutty, and how a spiritual call to arms spiraled into the only successful slave revolt in history. We trace the immediate aftermath of the uprising, Boukman's death, and the emergence of Toussaint Louverture. Along the way, we explore how the revolution sent shockwaves through the Atlantic world—terrifying slaveholders in the Americas and inspiring…