1794-Feb.-04
1794-Feb.-04: The National Convention in Paris passed a formal decree (16 Pluviôse An II) abolishing slavery in all French colonies and granting full citizen…
1794-Feb.-04: The National Convention in Paris passed a formal decree (16 Pluviôse An II) abolishing slavery in all French colonies and granting full citizenship to all men regardless of color. This measure sought to secure the loyalty of the black population to the Republic against the encroaching British and Spanish forces. Significance: Internationalized the Revolution and legally ended slavery in Saint-Domingue. Nuance: Fick underscores that this was a response to facts on the ground. Enslaved insurgents had already made slavery unenforceable.
Source
Edwards, Historical Survey, 239; Fick, The Making of Haiti pp19-195