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Based on these documents create a

theory on why slaves in Louisiana
would consider rebelling against
their slave owners. Use the three
sources in order to develop this and
support your reasoning.

User EAmez
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1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The documents suggest slaves in Louisiana were influenced by the success of the Haitian Revolution, the principles of the American Revolution, and the universal rights professed by the Enlightenment and the French Revolution to rise against their owners in search of liberation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the provided documents, a theory as to why slaves in Louisiana would consider rebelling against their slave owners can be derived from a historical context of revolution and a deep yearning for freedom and equality. The 1811 rebellion in Louisiana was notably inspired by the successful Haitian Revolution, where enslaved individuals overthrew their oppressors, signaling to slaves in other regions that freedom was achievable. Furthermore, the American Revolution shed light on natural rights and the hypocrisy of colonists crying for liberty while maintaining the system of slavery, instigating a cognitive dissonance that empowered many slaves to fight for their own freedom.

The French Revolution and Enlightenment ideals also promoted notions of equality that transcended borders and were carried into the colonies by various means, including through Vodou practices and community solidarity. These events demonstrated to enslaved Africans that the ideologies inspiring revolutions abroad were also applicable to their own oppressive circumstances, thus fueling their resolve to rebel.

User Ojii
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