Dutty Boukman | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1767 |
| Died | 7 November 1791 |
| Other names | Boukman Dutty |
| Known for | Catalyst to the Haitian Revolution |
Dutty Boukman (orBoukman Dutty; died 7 November 1791) was a leader of theHaitian Revolution. Born to a Muslim family inSenegambia (present-daySenegal andGambia), he was initially enslaved inJamaica.[1] He eventually ended up inHaiti, where he may have become a leader of themaroons and avodouhoungan (priest),[2] however this claim only originated in modern sources.[3]
According to some contemporary accounts, Boukman, alongsideCécile Fatiman, a Vodoumambo, presided over the religious ceremony atBois Caïman, in August 1791, that served as the catalyst to the1791 slave revolt which is usually considered the beginning of theHaitian Revolution.
Boukman was a key leader of the slave revolt in theLe Cap‑Français region in the north of the colony. He was killed by the French planters and colonial troops on 7 November 1791,[4][5] just a few months after the beginning of the uprising.
In about 1767, Dutty Boukman was born in the region ofSenegambia (present-daySenegal andGambia), where he was aMuslim cleric. He was captured in Senegambia, and forced into slavery in theCaribbean, first to the island ofJamaica, thenSaint-Domingue, modern-dayHaiti, where he became aHaitian Vodouhoungan priest.[1] He was known to some of his followers at "Zamba" Boukman.[6] After he attempted to teach other enslaved people how to read, he was sold to a French plantation owner and placed as acommandeur (slave driver) and, later, a coach driver.
During his time as a coach driver, Boukman was able to travel between plantations and estates. This allowed him to facilitate communication, learn political news, and encourage resistance factions among enslaved peoples.[6] While working as a coach driver, Boukman metJean-Jacques Dessalines, another enslaved person who helped inspire and lead resistance. Boukman and Dessalines were enslaved on plantations less than a mile apart and due to their assignments and skills had more privileges allowing greater movement than other enslaved workers. This allowed them to form strong bonds with one another which would ultimately help with their planned revolt.[7] Boukman would later work with famous Haitian Revolutionary leadersJeannot Bullet,Jean-François, andGeorges Biassou to inspire and lead the 1791 slave revolt.[7]
His French name came from his Englishnickname, "Book Man", which scholars likeSylviane Anna Diouf and Sylviane Kamara have interpreted as havingIslamic origins; they note that the term "man of the book" is a synonym for a Muslim in many parts of the world.[8] The name Dutty likely refers to the plantation where Boukman was enslaved, Dutih.[7] Laurent Dubois argues that Boukman may have practiced asyncretic blend oftraditional African religion and a form ofAbrahamic religion.[9]
Contemporaneous accounts place the ceremony atBois Caïman on or about 14 August 1791 at theChoiseul plantation.[3] Boukman and priestessCécile Fatiman presided over the last of a series of meetings to organize aslave revolt for weeks in advance; the co-conspirators in attendance includedJean François,Biassou,Jeannot, and others. A black pig was sacrificed, an oath was taken,[3] and Boukman gave the following speech:
...This God who made the sun, who brings us light from above, who raises the sea, and who makes the storm rumble. That God is there, do you understand? Hiding in a cloud, He watches us, he sees all that the whites do! The God of the whites pushes them to crime, but he wants us to do good deeds. But the God who is so good orders us to vengeance. He will direct our hands, and give us help. Throw away the image of the God of the whites who thirsts for our tears. Listen to the liberty that speaks in all our hearts.
— Dutty Boukman[1]
The first primary source in the historical record referencing this speech comes from an account written byHérard Dumesle in 1824, although it does not mention Boukman by name. Dumesle collected this account while traveling around Haiti and visiting the historical sites. While he did not include the names of those who gave him this account, it is very possible that he was able to talk with people who were at the meeting, although his writing is likely a dramatization, and includes references to Greek and Roman writings.[10][3]
According toUniversity of Gothenburg researcher Markel Thylefors, "The event of the Bois Caïman ceremony forms an important part of Haitian national identity as it relates to the very genesis of Haiti."[11]
According to the Encyclopedia of African Religion, "Blood from the animal was given in a drink to the attendees to seal their fates in loyalty to the cause of liberation of Saint-Domingue."[12] By drinking the blood, the attendees were making an oath that if broken would kill them.[13] Scholars have linked this ceremony to traditional West African rituals, that enslaved people adapted for their cause.[7] A week later, 1800 plantations had been destroyed and 1000 slaveholders killed.[14][15]Boukman was not the first to attempt a slave uprising in Saint-Domingue, as he was preceded by others, such asPadrejean in 1676, andFrançois Mackandal in 1757. However, his large size, warrior-like appearance, and fearsome temper made him an effective leader and helped spark the Haitian Revolution.[16]
A second meeting, with similar intentions to the ceremony, occurred on the same night at Morne Rouge. This gathering of around two hundred enslaved people, mostly those with privileged assignments, was attended by both Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Dutty Boukman. During the meeting, a date was selected for the slave uprising along with other specifics. This information was disseminated among the plantations of the enslaved drivers and coachmen that attended.[7]
The night after the events of Bois Caïman, on Monday, August 22nd, Boukman gathered enslaved people from neighboring sugar plantations including the estates of Dutilh, Héron, and Noé. The enslaved people elected Boukman to act as their leader and commander.[7] He led these forces to the Noé sugar refinery where they began their work of setting plantations ablaze as well as killing and capturing plantation owners and their families. Scholars mark the burning of the Noé estate as the beginning of the 1791 slave revolt that would lead into the Haitian Revolution.[6]
The next night, Boukman led his group of rebels north to recruit more enslaved people from plantation and estates like Molines, Laplaigne, Sacanville, and Pillat.[7] They then moved eastward and met up with other rebel fighters gathering a total force of around fifteen thousand strong. Together they marched to the city of le Cap to lay siege.[6]
Boukman was killed by French soldiers in November 1791 while defending a rebel base at Fond Bleu. The French then publicly displayed his head in an attempt to dispel the aura of invincibility that he had cultivated. Below his head was the inscription, "The head of Boukman, leader of the rebels."[6][17] Upon hearing the news of his death, slave leaders and rebels mourned his loss and held services to honor him. Some of the rebels demanded the execution of all white prisoners as retribution, but another formerly enslaved leader,Jean François, took control and prevented this.[6][18]
It is likely that Boukman was aJamaican Muslim who had aQuran, and that he got his nickname from this. As many Muslims had done, and would continue to do, he had climbed the echelons of the slaves' power structure and had reached the top. He was a trusted, professional slave.
When Boukman was killed (fighting bravely) the Assembly stuck up his head in Le Cap with a placard: 'This is the head of Boukman, chief of the rebels.'
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