1791-Aug.-14: Boukman Dutty, a Jamaican-born enslaved man and Vodou priest, presided over the Bois Caïman ceremony that effectively launched the general insu…

1791-Aug.-14: Boukman Dutty, a Jamaican-born enslaved man and Vodou priest, presided over the Bois Caïman ceremony that effectively launched the general insurrection in Saint-Domingue. Scott identifies Boukman as a pivotal figure whose literacy and mobility as a coachman allowed him to coordinate rebellion across various plantations. His role illustrates the vital importance of religious networks and cross-plantation communication in the early stages of the revolution. The news of this ceremony and the subsequent revolt spread like a “common wind” through the Caribbean, both terrifying white enslavers and inspiring the enslaved. This event redefined the possibilities of organized black resistance in the Atlantic world.