A Brief History
Contrary to Pat Robertson’s beliefs, on November 18, 1803, Haitians won their independence, not with the Devil’s assistance, but with their victory at The Battle of Vertières, the last major battle of the Haitian Revolution. The victory lead to the establishment of the Republic of Haiti, the first black republic in the Western Hemisphere.
Digging Deeper
After the Haitian Earthquake of 2010 took over 100,000 Haitian lives, Pat Robertson (Chancellor of Regent University and Chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network), proclaimed on television that Haiti, while under the heel of Napoleon III, had made a pact with the Devil in order to gain its independence from France, adding “true story” at the end of his assertion. First off, Napoleon III had not even been born when Haiti gained its independence. Second, I have yet to uncover any conclusive evidence that leading Haitians made an actual pact with THE Devil…
In reality, Haiti had been fighting a long, bloody race war for its independence since August of 1791, even before Napoleon I (the man actually in charge of France when Haitian independence was achieved) became France’s head of state. If anything non-human assisted the Haitians in their eventual success it was Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that spreads yellow fever. During the conflict, France lost about 20,000 people to yellow fever (almost as many as the 37,000 lost in combat). Even Napoleon’s brother-in-law and commander of France’s expedition to Haiti perished of the dreaded illness.
With Napoleon’s brother-in-law dead, veteran of the American Revolution, Danatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de Rochambeau, became the new commander of French forces in Haiti. Opposing him were Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines. In 1802, Rochambeau had won a victory over Louverture at the Battle of Ravine-à-Couleuvres. Louverture, who once referred to himself as “the first of the blacks”, eventually suffered arrest and imprisonment, dying in France just over a year after suffering the aforementioned military defeat. Even with Louverture dead, the Haitian Revolution did not conclude.
In fact, the French having suffered from yellow fever and a British blockade, dwindled in numbers. When the final major battle of the war was fought at The Battle of Vertières on November 18, 1803, only 2,000 French battled against 27,000 Haitians. The outcome was hardly surprising. When the remnants of the French army, having lost 1200 dead and wounded out of that 2,000, departed the island, Dessalines, who soon became the first Emperor of Haiti, had accomplished something not even Spartacus could realize in ancient times: perhaps the only successful slave uprising in human history.
Question for students (and subscribers): Have you ever been to Haiti? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
In What If? 2, Thomas Fleming asks, “What if yellow fever had not decimated the French forces in Haiti in 1802?”
Cowley, Robert, ed. What If? II: Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been (What If Essays). Berkley, 2002.
For more on this topic, see also the following:
Rainsford, Marcus, Paul Youngquist, et al. An Historical Account of the Black Empire of Hayti. Duke University Press Books, 2013.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="704 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=704">104 Comments
Of the two articles, I find this article to be the most interesting. It is crazy to think that someone actually believed that Napoleon III made a pact with the devil. It is also interesting how easily it was disproven.
I wouldn’t say that I necessarily find this article more interesting, but rather I am more amazed at the ignorance of Pat Robertson. I would think someone would have better information before presenting their ideas on national TV. Did no one do their research prior to the airing of this show? I also don’t understand at a time of such a huge natural disaster, he would add salt to their wounds by announcing to the world, that they made a pact with the devil. Seems pretty brash to me.
I find this article very interesting. I agree with Melissa that its crazy to believe Napoleon made a pact with the devil. And it being disproved!
No, wait! It was not NAPOLEON who was supposed to have made the deal, it was the Haitians — because, obviously it is inconceivable that blacks could defeat whites without anti-divine intervention.
And the French did get their revenge. As a condition of recognition by France, Haiti was forced to pay reparations to the French former slaveholders! To the tune of 150 million gold francs, a crushing debt which, despite reductions, was not paid off until 1947. The impoverished new nation never stood a chance, and fell prey to a succession of monsters as rulers.
I think this article is more interesting because people think that the hatians made a pact with the devil while at “the heel” of Napoleon the third. I think it is especially interesting that this man would claim this when history easily proves him wrong.
just the fact that napoleon the third wasn’t born yet should be enough to dispute the claim, however I do find it believable that someone “tried” to make a pact with the devil, and took the victory as an answer from Satan himself
Haiti has had a hard time finding a government to help and control the country. They have had over 250 governments in their history. This probably explains why the people have such low confidence in their political leaders.
People on the news need to fact check everything they say! It is ignorant for newscastors to make false claims like this and they should be fired for brodcasting false news.
Making a deal with the Devil always makes for a good story. But I don’t believe their victory was due to someone making a pact with Satan. But who know, weirder stuff has happened i guess.
Not possible that they made a deal with the devil and won their independence although it does make an interesting story. To blame a natural disaster on that as well is fairly odd.
Not too sure that this is a reliable source. First off, wasn’t it Napoleon I instead of Napoleon II? Also the fact that the article talks about how he talked to the devil. These two so called “facts” make me second guess on all the other facts that are in this article.
If your army is 2,000 fighting against 27,000.. I don’t think you need to make any agreement with anyone.
It still amazes me how a group of slaves can band together and make such an impact on a country. They were able to become independent by working together, and their country wouldn’t be where it is today if it wasn’t for this rebellion.
Its very to interesting to learn how they won their independence through a hard fought battle
It’s interesting to think what would’ve happened if the mosquitos never came and killed off all those Frenchmen.
I still think the Haitians would have won their independence. They seemed so extremely motivated to rid the French of the island that they would stop at nothing to achieve that goal. It is seriously impressive that they managed to win by sheer force, and even though it was horrifyingly violent at times, this win was definitely a justified one.
I personally think the Haitians would have still gained their independence at some point, one way or another. Whether it be they still defeat the French, or the French simply grant them their independence for the fact inhibiting Haiti and possibly funding it would seem more of a hassle than a benefit to the French.
The Haitians should be grateful that yellow fever worked in there favor. Otherwise the outcome might not be what it is today. That’s how a lot of things in life turn out, you have some random luck that can make or break something
Interesting to think of how it would have turned out if the yellow fever didn’t happen
Without Yellow Fever, I don’t think we would be the America that we are today. If France would have been able to win this war, they would have never sold us the Louisiana territory.
First things first–don’t ever take anything Pat Robertson says seriously. lol. Secondly, I feel that even if the yellow fever had not occurred that the Haitians would have eventuallyyyyyy led to their independence. I still feel that they would continued to be a poorer nation, though. It kind of puts me in mind of colonists versus the British in the American Revolution. Slightly.
No one likes mosquitos just saying! The only good thing they helped us with thus far!
Mosquitoes are perhaps the one creature that I would be happy to see go extinct!
pat robertson sounded pretty ignorant in the video
People can be ignorant… open mouth and insert foot! — DAVID WARDLE
definitely ignorant. interesting article though.
I am not sure if I am buying the whole deal with the devil thing, but the Haitians are definitely lucky that the mosquitos took out the French. It’s hard to see them winning the war against France’s army with out that happening.
“A deal with the devil” is an interesting way to portray this victory. Yes it was surprising in that the slaves uprising was a success but I don’t know if that has anything to do with a deal with the devil.
The Haitians could eventually won their independence. Guess that’s the only good things mosquitos did.
🙂
i can’t stand mosquitos but I guess they are the heroes of this story.
I like the reference to Pat Robertson, but I really do not like mosquitos.
So, since mosquitoes served their purpose, can we eradicate them already?
I am all for that! 🙂
I never like mosquitoes but they did help out Haiti in this incident. Without the mosquitoes spreading yellow fever through the french soldiers I feel that the war would have ended differently.
Go figure, right before I read this comment, I get bitten by a mosquito on my left forearm.. 🙁
Maybe Haiti did make a pact with the Devil, and the Devil just manifested himself in the form of mosquitoes carrying yellow fever. Without the help of those pesky mosquitoes Haiti may not have been able to gain its independence.
Dear Stephen,
If mosquitoes were not bad enough… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcTyAT4QJxY
Sincerely,
Dr. Zarzeczny
i don’t think an entire country can make a deal with the Devil, but the mosquitoes getting the French sick i think helped Haiti. An interesting part to this is think how different Haiti or maybe lack of Haiti would be if the mosquitoes didn’t get a hold of the French!
I’m not sure if I would refer to the Haitians’ victory of France to be similar to a “pact with the devil.” On the other hand, mosquitos carrying and transmitting yellow fever happened to aid the Haitians in gaining the independence they so long desired.
It sounds like the Haitians had help from Mosquitos, not the Devil. Maybe America should research on the use of weponized insects as it seemed to be very effective in this case. The Mosquitos killed nearly as many people as the war itself did.
N.W.
The Haitians didn’t defeat the French in a way I would have thought. Considering that a lot of french died from yellow fever. I don’t think I would say they had help from the devil though. I find it interesting that the French went and fought with 2,000 people and the Haitians had 27,000.
AM
I find the ‘pact with the Devil’ humorous. I think the mosquitoes were more beneficial to the Haitians.
Having been to Haiti briefly, it’s interesting knowing some of their history. GW
I can’t believe how people can announce such absurd things to the public, saying that they made a pact with the Devil to gain independence sounds pretty crazy to me. I wouldn’t want someone saying that about America.
The man who said that the Hatians made a pact with the Devil should really re-educate himself. As stated in this article, he had no truth to what he was saying
The man saying that the Haitians made a pact with the devil proves to show how far the truth can be stretched. However, I did not know that Haiti was the first black republic in the hemisphere.. Very interesting!
It’s crazy that even in 2010, reporters were still claiming that Haiti had made a pact with the Devil in order to gain its independence from France.
Through all of these articles you can tell how much of an impact religion had on the beliefs of people back in the day.
It is really interesting to think about how things might have been different without the yellow fever fatalities.
Mosquitoes are devilish that is for sure, but I don’t think Pat Robertson can claim Haiti made a pack with THE devil.
I can understand people in the past blaming something like this on the devil but modern day this should be looked over as a past misconception
I have seen other statements made by Pat Robertson and they are all extremely absurd and most likely offensive with no facts. Amazing that the Haitians led the only successful slave revolts.
given the time period, i can see how people would blame the devil for this
Due to yellow fever killing many French soldiers including
their commander and the fact that they were greatly outnumbered by the Haitians,
I’m not at all surprised that they lost.
Wow, I have seen the clip of him saying that and it is quite sad someone can be that uneducated and insensitive. I also love how we can prove how uneducated his statements are with just a little research.
Them winning the battle created something good for Hatti. I read something about hati making a grievance with the devil. This doesnt really make sense.
Pat gives bad names to Christians everywhere, my opinion
I can’t believe that this supposed religious man claimed this! He not only sounds uneducated because his information was all wrong but also because he probably believes what he’s saying.
I have no clue where the devil came into paly. That is kind of non sense and un called for. He is just asking for trouble.
I think that the times were different then. Someone who gives Christians a bad name today would seem sane during that time possibly.
It seems like if any small nation actually win against a bigger nation they immediately blame something else. Why it hard to believe that?
Making such a statement is just insensitive to those who suffered as a result of the Haiti earthquake.
Good for them for gaining their independence! The uprising may have been the only way they were going to get it.
Why is Pat Robertson the chairman or chancellor of anything?
Pretty interesting that this could be considered the only successful slave uprising in history.
Much deserved uprising for the slaves. Huge statement put up by them to the rest of the world.
Pat Robertson is pretty dumb. Doesn’t even know who the hell he’s talking about, and he’s making outrageous, unintelligent claims.
good for their independence
Independence is a key to sucess
Without independence there will always be a want for independence which will inevitably lead to an uprising.
Does this guy really think the devil helped haitians get independance why on earth would he think that
I highly doubt the devil hepled. But yay for them and independence.
I never realized that this was the only successful slave uprising in human history. Again, a disease made a huge impact on a battle. I never realized how many wars end up coming down to illnesses among soldiers. However, this was a major win for Haiti and slaves and is commendable.
I guess if we think of the disease as the Devil, then yes, the Devil was present in the ballet, but I am not sure that was the reason why Haitians won their independence. So interesting that this is the story of possibly the only slave uprising in history.
It wasn’t the devil that helped the Haitians win their freedom as Pat Roberston claimed, but rather Aedes Aegypti mosquito helped the revolution by the spread of yellow fever. I think that its interesting that it was that type of mosquito because that is the same kind causing the Zika scare in the present time. I think it really shows how the study of science and the study of history can intersect and benefit one another.
The yellow fever traveling through mosquitos is a relevant topic that is happening in Rio for the Olympic games of 2016. Zika virus is a similar virus that travels through mosquitos to humans. The virus today does not have the same implications for freedom but it does for peoples safety.
It is always interesting to read about old conspiracy theories involving the devil. It is inspiring that the Haitians were successful in their uprising and revolution. Considering the French forces were outnumbered so greatly in their last battle, it is no surprise that the outcome did not result in their favor.
I can’t believe anyone would believe in something as ridiculous as making a pact with the devil. It’s funny the superstitions that used to be around. I don’t know much about Haiti or when and how they gained their independence. That’s amazing that they were probably the first successful slave uprising.
Frank, I like your comment about how the mosquitos are still spreading diseases and viruses today. It is crazy to think that such a small insect could have such an impact on humans and our history! 20,000 people is a lot for the French to have lost to the yellow fever.
Who is the Pat Robertson guy? How could he such a terrible comment after such a tragic event? Besides that, it is indeed interesting to know how much the mosquito played a role in the warfare. It is amazing to know that for centuries they have been spreading diseases as even now they are significantly more than just pesky bugs.
Haiti won its independence from the powerful French army, something that sounds even more improbable than the Americans winning independence from the British. These types of victories show that the powerful French and British forces were stretched too thin across the world. Both France and Britain were preoccupied with too many other wars in the world to focus on winning in the colonies and in Haiti.
I do not think Haiti won its independence with the help of the Devil. They won their independence from France because they were fighting a battle 27,000 soldiers to 2,000 French soldiers. The French soldiers we dwindled by yellow fever and a British Blockade.
Haiti’s independence was a major triumph and I have even more respect for their fight after reading that it was believed that they made a pact with the devil. It is awful to have burdened them with that belief.
It is crazy that Pat Robertson’s statement in 2010 was proven to be false and that he announced that statement on television without knowing it to be 100% true. I do not believe that Haiti won its independence with the help of the devil. The Haitians had 27,000 soldiers whereas the French only had 2,000. Those numbers say it all.
This story is inspiring! “A successful slave uprising.”
It seems that disease won the Battle of Vertieres. Luckily for the Haitians, the French were so affected by yellow fever, that it was easier for them to win this battle during the revolution.
When something goes wrong blame the Devil! Seems like what happened here. The real reason the french lost was because they were outnumbered and not in their element. That is all.
There are a lot more logical explanations as to why the Haitians won the revolution other than that they made a pack with the devil. One being they outnumbered the French due to and outbreak of yellow fever.
There are two crazy ideas that came from this article. The first being that people actually thought that there was a pact made with the devil. That seems a little out there to believe. The second is how could the French believe they could win a battle where it was 2,000 against 27,000? That is almost 14x more than the number of men they had.
Typical somebody in the media trying to twist the facts just to make you take their side on the issue at hand.
What does Pat Robertson have to gain by lying about this. The Haitian people fought very hard for there freedoms and for this man to try to debunk all of it using lies, truly astonishing.
I do not understand why Pat Robertson would say such historical lies. The facts show why the Haitians people won their independence: Through a bloody Civil War and the Yellow Fever that damaged the French Forces.
Its unbelievable to make a deal with the devil, but surprising they lived with the opponents army that. Possible could have been some luck on their side.
This is why you cant always believe what our leaders are saying, they tel you what they think you want to hear and not the truth. Eventually the truth will be revealed and you don’t want to be left in ahhh beaus you believed them, figure it out yourself!
It’s actually comical to see the crazy stuff that people come up with, making a deal with the devil? Really?
Even with Louverture being dead the Haitian Revolution did not conclude. What the heck?? They said In ancient times the only successful slave uprising is in human history.
It could’ve just been the yellow fever that helped the Haitians win the war. If the French didn’t have it, the Haitians might’ve lost the war.
I think the slaves that were brave enough to fight back were incredible. It is amazing that the Haitians were able to win against the French.
Haiti wanted independence like some other countries did back then as well.
I’m surprised that the Haitians won against the French!
This was a huge win for the Hatians!
I wonder how much of a different outcome this would have been if there were no mosquitos in Haiti that could spread any diseases.
I don’t think it was the devil doing, it could have been the wrath of mother nature favoring on the Hatians side.