76.2k views
2 votes
why did the french commissioners, who were sent to saint-domingue by the newly elected national convention, abolish slavery in the colony in 1793?

User Duduamar
by
9.2k points

1 Answer

3 votes

Answer:

The French commissioners, who were sent to Saint-Domingue by the newly elected National Convention, abolished slavery in the colony in 1793 due to several reasons. Firstly, the French Revolution, which began in 1789, had sparked a wave of ideas about liberty, equality, and fraternity, which challenged the traditional social order of France and its colonies.

Secondly, the revolutionaries in France recognized that slavery was incompatible with the principles of the revolution and the rights of man.

Thirdly, the Haitian Revolution, which had begun in 1791, had escalated into a full-scale slave rebellion and threatened the stability of the colony. The French commissioners saw the abolition of slavery as a way to deprive the rebel slaves of their support and to win the loyalty of free people of color who had been fighting for their rights.

Finally, the French commissioners also hoped that the abolition of slavery would help them to secure the support of the British, who had abolished slavery in their own colonies in 1833, and to counteract the influence of other European powers that still supported slavery.

User Massmaker
by
8.2k points