Final answer:
The blancs and gens de couleur libres were contesting over the application of French Revolutionary principles, leading to a conflict over socio-political and economic freedoms in Saint-Domingue, precipitating the Haitian Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The blancs (Whites) and the gens de couleur libres (free people of color) in Saint-Domingue, which is now Haiti, were fighting over socio-political and economic freedoms that stemmed from the French Revolution's principles. Wealthy White planters desired political autonomy and fewer trade restrictions, while poor Whites aimed for equal citizenship. However, neither group was interested in promoting rights for people of color. The gens de couleur libres, many of whom were of mixed heritage and some of whom also owned enslaved people, hoped the revolutionary ideals would grant them equal rights irrespective of race, yet they did not challenge the institution of slavery itself. Their conflicting ambitions led to intensifying tensions, which erupted in 1791 when the White population refused to recognize the citizenship rights granted by France to wealthy people of color, ultimately leading to rebellion and the broader Haitian Revolution.