The French Revolution of 1789 thundered across Europe with its cries of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.” But in Saint-Domingue, France’s richest colony, these ideals quickly turned into hypocrisy. Chapter 3, Parliament and Property, is where C.L.R. James shows us how the debates in Paris collided with the brutal reality of slavery in the Caribbean.
This chapter is a turning point. It reveals how revolution in France meant to spread freedom instead exposed the contradictions of an empire built on human bondage.
The French Revolution and the Colonies
In 1789, the National Assembly in Paris became the stage for a debate about rights, freedom, and citizenship. But when the question of colonies came up, the tone changed.
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The Grand Blancs (planters) wanted political freedom from the French crown, especially economic independence.
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They demanded control over trade and governance, while continuing to enslave Africans.
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For them, “liberty” meant the liberty of slaveholders.
The hypocrisy was clear: the men who shouted against tyranny in Paris defended tyranny in the colonies.
The Free People of Color Speak Out
In the middle stood the Gens de Couleur (free people of mixed race). Many were wealthy landowners, educated, and in some cases richer than poor whites. Yet racist laws barred them from voting, holding office, or enjoying full rights.
Led by figures like Vincent Ogé, they petitioned the Assembly, demanding equal rights with whites. Their case was simple: if liberty and equality are universal, then skin color should not exclude them.
The Assembly stalled, fearing the wrath of the planters. Ogé returned to Saint-Domingue, raised an armed revolt in 1790, and was brutally executed tortured on the wheel. His death made him a martyr and deepened the colony’s divisions.
The Petits Blancs React
The Petits Blancs (poor whites) added fuel to the fire. They were obsessed with race and saw free people of color as rivals. Even when mulattoes were wealthier, the Petits Blancs demanded that “whiteness” remain the only qualification for full rights.
Thus, in Saint-Domingue:
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The planters fought for control against France.
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The free people of color fought for equality.
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The Petits Blancs fought to preserve racism.
This three-way struggle created instability at the top while the enslaved majority watched carefully, waiting for their chance.
The Question of Property
In every debate, “property” meant slaves. The planters insisted that any threat to slavery was a threat to property, and thus to civilization itself.
In the Assembly, even progressive revolutionaries hesitated. Many who fought against monarchy still believed that the colonies, with their slave-based wealth, were essential to France’s survival.
James highlights this contradiction: the very revolution that declared “the Rights of Man” excluded millions of Black men and women, treating them as subhuman.
The Fuse Is Lit
The debates in Paris and the conflicts in Saint-Domingue did not solve anything they only exposed the hypocrisy of French society.
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Free people of color continued to push for equality.
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Whites continued to resist any change.
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The enslaved began to realize that the talk of liberty might also apply to them.
By the end of this chapter, the stage is set: Saint-Domingue is a powder keg. Every group wants freedom, but only for themselves. The enslaved majority, silent for now, are the only ones who see that freedom must mean freedom for all.
Why This Chapter Matters
Parliament and Property is about more than political debate. It shows that revolutions often stumble on the question of inclusion. Who is considered fully human? Who deserves rights? In France, the answer was “all men” but in practice, not the enslaved, not the colonized.
This contradiction would explode in fire. The Haitian Revolution would become the true test of whether liberty was universal.
Chaos Decoder Insight
"You can shout liberty in the halls of parliament, but if your liberty rests on chains, the chains will one day answer louder."
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