For each event in Jefferson’s presidency, determine if he stuck to his own Jeffersonian principles and why/why not. Then, assign him a grade (A-F or numerical) in his overall actions, taking into account context, motive, significance, outcome, etc.
The Haitian Revolution
Beginning the 1790’s, enslaved people in the French colony of Saint Domingue (today’s nation of Haiti) were inspired by word of the French Revolution and began to rise up to overthrow the imperial government and demand the same equality and rights advocated during the French Revolution. Toussaint L’Ouverture, an educated slave on a sugar plantation, helped organize and lead a revolt against the whites of the island, hoping to establish an independent nation of former slaves. During Washington’s administration, Jefferson advocated providing support to help the whites of the island put down the revolt, even though he supported the general ideas of the French Revolution.
The beginning of the Federalist administration of President John Adams signaled a change in policy. Adams was resolutely anti-slavery and felt no need to aid white forces in St. Domingue. Adams also wished to preserve lucrative sugar trade links with the colony. Consequently, Adams decided to provide aid to L’Ouverture against his British-supported rivals, mainly in the form of weapons. L’Ouverture and the rebellious slaves were able to defeat British forces seeking to take control of the island.
At the beginning of Jefferson’s presidency, Spain ceded its Louisiana Territory to France, and Napoleon set his sights on regaining Haiti and reestablishing a North American Empire. In 1802, Napoleon sent forces to Haiti and to New Orleans, cutting off American access to the important trade port. Alarmed and worried about America’s own ability to expand and conduct trade, Jefferson reversed his earlier support for the French in retaking the island and cut off assistance the US had been providing to France, declaring neutrality in the Caribbean, but secretly allowing weapons to be sold to L’Ouverture and the rebels to prevent Napoleon from retaking the island.
By 1803, Napoleon gave up his dream of reconquering Haiti and of establishing an empire in America, ultimately leading to his willingness to sell the Louisiana Territory to the US.
Jefferson then grew more hostile toward Haiti. Toussaint’s successor, Dessalines began murdering remaining whites on the island. When he wrote a letter to Jefferson hoping to establish closer ties between the two countries, Jefferson ignored the letter and pursued a policy of isolating the island. Jefferson also wanted to avoid revolutionary ideas spreading to slaves and abolitionists in America. In 1806, Jefferson signed an embargo that outlawed all trade with the island to avoid upsetting either the French or southern slaveholders. Jefferson refused to recognize Haitian independence, a policy to which U.S. Federalists also agreed. Although France recognized Haitian independence in 1825, Haitians would have to wait until 1862 for the United States to recognize Haiti’s status as a sovereign, independent nation.
Documents: Below are two letters Jefferson wrote regarding the Haitain Revolution, written as he was serving as Secretary of State for George Washington.
1791 August 7 (Jefferson to Thomas Mann Randolph)
"A decree of the National assembly of France, giving the rights of citizenship to the free people of colour of St. Domingo, has thrown that colony into a dangerous fermentation."
1791 November 24 (Jefferson to William Short)
"The subject of independence and the liberated slaves’ expectation of it having been stated in the public papers has led to our conversation of it; and I must say they [Washington’s cabinet] appeared as far from these views as any person on earth. I expressed to them freely my opinion that such an object [St. Dominque’s independence] was neither desireable on their part nor attainable. We conceived it to be strongly our interests that they should retain their connection with the mother country.
In the case of the Haitian Revolution, Jefferson initially went against his Jeffersonian principles by advocating for support to help the whites of the island put down the revolt, even though he supported the general ideas of the French Revolution. However, he later aligned with his principles by cutting off assistance to France and declaring neutrality in the Caribbean, secretly allowing weapons to be sold to L'Ouverture and the rebels. Jefferson's hostility towards Haiti and refusal to recognize Haitian independence demonstrated a departure from his principles, as he sought to isolate the island and avoid revolutionary ideas spreading to slaves and abolitionists in America.
Overall, taking into account context, motive, significance, outcome, etc., I would assign Jefferson a grade of C for his actions in relation to the Haitian Revolution. While he initially supported the French and opposed the slave rebellion, he later changed his stance by cutting off assistance to France and secretly aiding the rebels. However, his subsequent hostility towards Haiti and refusal to recognize its independence undermined his adherence to his principles of equality and rights.
It is important to note that the grading system is subjective and may vary depending on individual interpretation.
In the case of the Haitian Revolution, Jefferson initially stuck to his own Jeffersonian principles by supporting the general ideas of the French Revolution, which called for equality and rights. However, his stance changed when it came to supporting the revolution in Haiti.
At the beginning of his presidency, Jefferson advocated for aiding the white forces in St. Domingue to put down the revolt, even though he supported the general ideas of the French Revolution. This decision went against his Jeffersonian principles of supporting equality and rights for all.
However, when Napoleon sent forces to Haiti to regain control of the island and cut off American access to the important trade port, Jefferson reversed his earlier support for the French and cut off assistance to France. This decision can be seen as consistent with his Jeffersonian principles, as it allowed for the support of the rebellion and prevented Napoleon from reestablishing a North American Empire.
Jefferson's stance grew more hostile toward Haiti after Napoleon gave up his dream of reconquering Haiti and established an empire in America. Jefferson ignored a letter from Toussaint’s successor, Dessalines, and pursued a policy of isolating the island. This decision can be seen as going against Jeffersonian principles of supporting democracy and human rights, as it ignored the pleas for closer ties between the two countries and led to the isolation of Haiti.
In conclusion, Jefferson's actions during the Haitian Revolution can be seen as inconsistent with his Jeffersonian principles. While he initially supported the general ideas of the French Revolution, he later changed his stance and pursued policies that went against supporting equality, rights, and democracy.
Overall, Jefferson's actions during the Haitian Revolution can be given a grade of C. While he did change his stance to support the rebellion against France, his subsequent policy of isolating Haiti and refusing to recognize Haitian independence goes against his own principles and shows a lack of consistent support for equality and democracy.
To determine if Jefferson stuck to his own Jeffersonian principles during the Haitian Revolution, we need to understand his beliefs and values. Jefferson was a strong advocate for liberty, equality, and democracy. He supported the general ideas of the French Revolution, which promoted these principles.
In the beginning of the revolution, Jefferson advocated providing support to help the whites of the island put down the rebellion. This seems to contradict his own principles of supporting equality and the rights of individuals. However, we need to consider the context of the time and the political dynamics. At that time, Jefferson was serving as Secretary of State for George Washington, and Washington's administration had a policy of supporting the French monarchy. So, Jefferson's support for the whites in Saint Domingue may have been influenced by his role in the administration and the prevailing political sentiment.
However, when John Adams became the President, there was a shift in policy. Adams was anti-slavery and did not see the need to aid white forces in Saint Domingue. He decided to provide aid to Toussaint L'Ouverture and the rebellious slaves against their British-supported rivals. This change in policy aligns with Jefferson's principles of supporting equality and opposing slavery.
When Jefferson became President, the situation changed again. Napoleon sent forces to Haiti and threatened American access to the important trade port of New Orleans. Jefferson, worried about America's own ability to expand and conduct trade, cut off assistance to France and declared neutrality in the Caribbean. He secretly allowed weapons to be sold to L'Ouverture and the rebels to prevent Napoleon from retaking the island. This action can be seen as aligned with Jefferson's principles of supporting independence and opposing foreign encroachments on American interests.
However, Jefferson's stance towards Haiti grew more hostile over time. After L'Ouverture, Dessalines became the leader of Haiti and began murdering remaining whites on the island. When Dessalines wrote a letter to Jefferson hoping to establish closer ties, Jefferson ignored the letter and pursued a policy of isolating the island. This action can be seen as contradictory to Jefferson's principles of supporting liberty and equality. His refusal to recognize Haitian independence and his policies to avoid revolutionary ideas spreading to slaves and abolitionists in America go against his ideals.
Taking into account all these events and actions, it is clear that Jefferson's approach to the Haitian Revolution was not completely consistent with his Jeffersonian principles. While he initially supported the whites and then shifted to supporting the rebels, he eventually turned against Haiti and pursued policies that contradicted his beliefs.
In terms of grading Jefferson's overall actions, it is subjective and depends on the criteria used. However, considering the inconsistencies and contradictions in his behavior, it would be fair to give him a grade of C or a score of around 6 out of 10. This takes into account the context, motives, significance, outcomes, and the adherence to Jeffersonian principles.