Quote:
Originally Posted by eschaton
My understanding is the white population of Haiti was about 8% of the total in colonial times. While that's certainly larger than it was after the Haitian Revolution, even in the blackest part of British North America (South Carolina) there was about a 50/50 split.
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The White population of St Domingue in 1789 was roughly as numerous as the White population of Georgia.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eschaton
Overseers to whip and otherwise discipline the slaves, for one thing.
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In the French sugar colonies, these overseers (called "commandeurs") were Black slaves themselves. The masters selected the most trustworthy and experienced slaves, usually born locally. So no need to a White lower class here.
PS: Of note: the population of St Domingue in 1789 was larger than Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, but lower than Virginia. Its White population, however, was only the same size as Georgia's. The total economic output of St Domingue (what we call GDP today) was larger than the entire USA, and its exports were also larger than the exports of the entire USA. All (or nearly all) was destroyed within the space of 15 years. The largest city in St Domingue, Cap-Français (the "Pearl of the Antilles") was as populated as Boston and Charleston in 1789. Only NYC and Philadelphia were larger. Cap-Français was 5/6th destroyed by fire in 1793 during the Haitian Revolution, and its White population either killed or fled to Louisiana.
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