It all started in 1791, when a bunch of brave Haitians, led by Boukman, got together and said, "You know what? We're done with this slavery business." And then they proceeded to launch a full-on rebellion against the French. It was a bit of a messy start, to be honest, with lots of violence and bloodshed, but hey, desperate times call for desperate measures, right?
Now, you might be thinking, "But what about the French Revolution? Didn't they have something to do with it?" Well, yes and no - the French Revolution was all about liberty, equality, and fraternity, but it didn't exactly apply to the enslaved people of Haiti. In fact, the French were all, "Uh, no, you guys are still our property, so get back to work!" Not exactly the most enlightened bunch, if you know what I mean.
