WesternCiv105Ch18Lec9

Summary

The script discusses the complex history of slavery and the movement to end it, highlighting the paradox of anti-slavery activists who held racist views. It touches on the Haitian Revolution and the Dominican Republic's ethnic diversity, emphasizing the impact of colonialism on racial hierarchies. The script also delves into the Enlightenment's legacy, including the 'Code Noir', which regulated the treatment of slaves in French colonies, and its stark contrast to Enlightenment ideals. The discussion aims to explore the intertwining of historical events, racial identity, and the enduring effects of colonialism.

Takeaways

• 😔 There were individuals in history who opposed slavery but still held negative views about people of color.
• 🌍 The movement to end slavery was complex, with Britain able to politically end it while the United States experienced a devastating Civil War.
• 🎥 The instructor plans to show a video clip about the Dominican Republic and Haiti to illustrate the legacy of Western colonialism on ethnic diversity.
• 🏝 The island of Hispaniola, home to both Dominican Republic and Haiti, was divided into Spanish and French spheres, influencing racial identity and hierarchy.
• 👥 Racial self-identification in the Dominican Republic differs from that of Black Americans, reflecting a complex history of racial mixing and hierarchy.
• 📚 The book 'Haiti: History and the Gods' is mentioned as a resource for understanding the Haitian Revolution and its connection to Enlightenment thought.
• 🏛️ The Enlightenment had a dual legacy, promoting ideas of equality while also producing the 'Black Code', a set of laws that regulated the brutal commerce of enslaved Africans.
• 📜 The 'Code Noir' was a product of the Enlightenment that was ignored by its philosophers and is often omitted from historical accounts.
• 🌿 The 'Code Noir' is a stark example of how the most heinous aspects of the slave trade were deeply embedded in colonial law and society.
• 🔄 The instructor will discuss the British in India, European-Asian encounters, the Haitian Revolution, and the Irish Rebellion, connecting these historical events to broader themes of colonialism and identity.

Q & A

What was the main issue with people attempting to end slavery in the past?

Many people who were against slavery still held negative views about people of color, which created its own set of problems.

How did Britain end slavery compared to the United States?

Britain ended slavery politically, whereas the United States had to go through a Civil War, resulting in the deaths of half a million people, before slavery was abolished.

What is the significance of the island separating into Spanish and French spheres in the context of the Dominican Republic and Haiti?

The separation led to different cultural and ethnic compositions, which influenced the development of racial hierarchies and identities in these regions.

Why does the speaker want to show a video clip about the Dominican Republic and Haiti?

The speaker wants to illustrate how the Western Legacy continues to impact ethnic diversity and identity in the Atlantic World.

What is the connection between the Haitian Revolution and the Enlightenment?

The Enlightenment's ideals of liberty and equality influenced the Haitian Revolution, despite the fact that the philosophes of the time ignored the barbaric practices of the Black Code.

What is the Black Code mentioned in the script?

The Black Code, or Code Noir, was a set of laws established by Louis XIV in 1685 that regulated the treatment and commerce of enslaved Africans in the French colonies.

Why is the Black Code significant in understanding the humanitarianism of Montesquieu and Rousseau?

If Montesquieu and Rousseau had included the French code of laws in their reflections on slavery, it would have contradicted their highest truths about liberty and equality.

How does the speaker plan to integrate the discussion of the Black Code with the Enlightenment?

The speaker intends to discuss the Enlightenment's positive contributions while also acknowledging its shortcomings, such as the philosophes' ignorance of the Black Code.

What is the speaker's intention in discussing the British in India and the Encounters of Europeans and Asians?

The speaker aims to explore the colonial impact and the interactions between Europeans and other cultures, which were influenced by the colonial period's ingrained racial hierarchies.

What does the speaker plan to cover after discussing the Haitian Revolution and the Irish Rebellion?

The speaker plans to move on to the next chapter after quickly going through these topics, indicating a shift in focus to new material.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Historical Struggles with Slavery and Ethnic Diversity

The paragraph discusses the complex history of the movement to end slavery, noting that while many opposed slavery, they still harbored racist views. It points out the irony of figures like Thomas Jefferson, who espoused equality while owning slaves. The speaker plans to show a video clip about the Dominican Republic and Haiti to illustrate ethnic diversity in the Atlantic world, emphasizing the historical separation into Spanish and French spheres and the resulting racial hierarchies. The paragraph also mentions the Haitian Revolution and the Enlightenment's impact on ideas of freedom and equality, contrasting the lofty ideals with the brutal reality of the Black Code, a set of laws that regulated the treatment and trade of slaves in French colonies.

05:01

📜 The Black Code: A Dark Chapter in Enlightenment History

This paragraph delves into the Black Code, a set of laws from the Enlightenment era that regulated the treatment of slaves in French colonies. It contrasts the humanitarian ideals of philosophers like Montesquieu and Rousseau with the harsh realities of the Black Code, which was ignored by the philosophes and is often overlooked in historical accounts. The speaker highlights the code's role in establishing a legacy of racial discrimination and the inhumane treatment of slaves, which has been largely forgotten or ignored in discussions of the Enlightenment. The paragraph also sets the stage for a discussion on the British in India, European encounters with Asia, and the Irish Rebellion, indicating a broader exploration of colonialism and its impacts.

Keywords

💡Slavery

Slavery refers to the condition of being owned by someone or being under the control of another person against one's will. In the context of the video, it is a central theme as it discusses the historical efforts to end slavery and the complex attitudes towards it. The script mentions that some individuals who opposed slavery were not necessarily free from racist views, indicating the complicated nature of historical perspectives on this institution.

💡Racism

Racism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one race over another, which often results in discrimination and prejudice. The video script points out that even among those who opposed slavery, there were negative views about people of color, illustrating the deep-rooted nature of racism in historical contexts.

💡Ethnic Diversity

Ethnic diversity refers to the presence of individuals from different ethnic backgrounds within a community or society. The video script discusses ethnic diversity in the Atlantic World, particularly focusing on the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where the ethnic composition has led to a complex racial hierarchy and distinct identities that challenge conventional racial classifications.

💡Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a country in the Caribbean, sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. The script uses the Dominican Republic as a case study to explore the effects of colonialism and the creation of racial hierarchies, where the mixing of European elites with local populations has resulted in a unique ethnic identity that does not align with traditional racial categories.

💡Haitian Revolution

The Haitian Revolution was a successful uprising by enslaved people in Saint-Domingue, now Haiti, against French colonial rule in the late 18th century. The video script mentions a documentary clip on the Haitian Revolution, emphasizing its significance in the broader narrative of resistance against slavery and colonialism.

💡Enlightenment

The Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority. The script discusses the Enlightenment's complex legacy, noting that while it produced ideas that contributed to modern concepts of human rights, it also ignored or overlooked the brutal realities of slavery and colonial exploitation.

💡Black Code

The Black Code, or Code Noir, was a set of laws in French colonial America that regulated the treatment of slaves and the conditions of slavery. The video script highlights the contradiction between the Enlightenment's ideals and the existence of such laws, which were a product of the same era but represented a stark contrast to the principles of liberty and equality.

💡Racial Hierarchy

A racial hierarchy is a social structure in which different racial groups are ranked according to perceived superiority or inferiority. The script discusses how the mixing of elites with local populations in colonial settings created racial hierarchies, which continue to influence contemporary racial identities and attitudes.

💡Identity

Identity refers to the sense of self or the characteristics that define an individual or group. The video script connects the concept of identity to the broader themes of race, ethnicity, and colonialism, suggesting that identities are shaped by historical and social contexts, such as the ethnic diversity in the Atlantic World and the experiences of the Haitian Revolution.

💡Colonialism

Colonialism is the practice of a powerful nation exerting control over a dependent territory or people. The script uses the term to discuss the historical context of slavery and the establishment of racial hierarchies, emphasizing the lasting impact of colonial practices on the societies and identities of the colonized.

Highlights

The movement to end slavery was complex, with some abolitionists holding negative views about people of color.

Britain ended slavery through political means, contrasting with the United States' Civil War.

The island of Hispaniola separated into Spanish and French spheres, influencing ethnic diversity.

Dominican Republic and Haiti have distinct racial identities despite sharing an island.

Racial hierarchy in the Dominican Republic is influenced by historical mixing of elites with locals.

The Haitian Revolution is a significant event in the context of ethnic diversity and identity.

The Enlightenment's legacy is mixed, with important ideas coexisting with barbaric practices like the Black Code.

The Black Code was a product of the Enlightenment, yet ignored by its philosophers.

The Black Code's impact on understanding humanitarianism and the reflections of Montesquieu and Rousseau.

The Black Code has never been published in English and is often overlooked in historiography.

The colonial period's ingrained aspects, including the treatment of non-Europeans as inferior.

The video clip from the Dominican Republic is used to reflect on Western Legacy and racial identity.

The speaker's daughter's family experience as part Haitian is used to illustrate personal connections to the topic.

The British in India and their encounters with Europeans and Asians are part of the broader colonial narrative.

The Irish Rebellion is briefly mentioned as another aspect of European colonial encounters.

The speaker plans to cover a lot of topics quickly to move on to the next chapter.

Transcripts

okay so uh essentially um last ending

with the fact that there were people

that were attempting to end slavery

um

unfortunately many of the people that

were wanting to end

slavery weren't

necessarily not

racists they had negative views about

um people

of color but they didn't necessarily

believe that slavery would be okay okay

and so

um that that has its own sense of

problems but again there was a movement

to to end it and um you know Britain's

going to be able to end slavery by

simply ending it um politically uh we're

going to kill half a million of

ourselves in the United States um before

we can get that um done

um so yeah that's uh uh just I want to

mention about this for

now um ethnic diversity in the Atlantic

World Latin America and Brazil so we've

already kind of talked about this and

what I'm going to do is uh I'm going to

show you a video

clip from Dominican

Republic that then talks about Dominican

and Republic in Haiti keep in mind that

um that Island

uh uh ends up separating into Spanish

and French

spheres and um the reason why I want to

show you this video is again is I want

you to see where this Western Legacy

still has played out on some of the

topics I've talked about it with

identity I'm going to have you watch a

documentary

clip um uh also on the Haitian

revolution um and I was trying to think

where I wanted to place this topic and

where I wanted to place this video but I

think I'll put it right here where we

deal with uh ethnic diversity

um uh in the Atlantic world and you know

it's

interesting

um that uh you

have what what white American would

consider black people in Dominican

Republic to don't consider themselves

black and actually have racist views

about

blacks and a lot of that has to do with

the ethnic composition i s the way that

Elites from these countries would mix

with locals and create kind of a a

racial hierarchy okay that's something

that was talked about in the book and so

um you know I want you to think about

that in context to the video I'm going

to show you from what I've talked about

with my own uh uh daughter's family

experience as being part Haitian okay

um but then also uh I want to read this

one uh section here from a book I have

called Haiti history and the gods and

we're going to be covering the

enlightenment um which I'm going to

actually speak for the most part quite

highly of or you know you know uh in

many positive ways when we go next into

discussing that at the same time there's

a relationship between all of what's

going on here what we're learning in

this section and the Enlightenment and

things that we need to kind of think

about that aren't often integrated into

this so just like the United States has

this amazing Legacy right where

Jefferson says all men are created equal

when he said men he didn't say humans as

in men and women and he didn't really

mean all humans are created equal either

he had slaves

but his idea what he said is important

to the world it affects the world in a

positive way what he said his own action

didn't fully reflect that that's kind of

what I'm going to also talk about with

the enlightenment a little bit as we go

with this but from this

text it says here in March

1685 at Versailles Louis the 14th the

Sun Sun King presided over the

completion of what would be his Minister

Jean Baptist kar's greatest creation the

Cod Noir or edict regarding the

government and the administration of the

French islands of America and the

discipline in the Commerce of black

blacks and slaves in the said

countries and uh 20 years earlier uh um

he this detex says colar had formed the

campaign the company of the West Indies

which sent French slavers into Africa

shipping Africans to the Americas and

return to France with coffee sugar and

tobacco what we just were talking about

uh these Commodities the black code the

most barbaric product of the

Enlightenment was ignored by the

philosophes these are uh who we're going

to learn about in the next chapter and

later forgotten or more precisely never

mentioned then says the black code

provides the context for understanding

the

humanitarianism uh of monu and rouso had

they allowed the French code of laws

into their Reflections on servitude

slavery and nature it would have made a

mockery of their highest

truths in 300 years the black code has

never been published in English but but

more

significant um as Lou Salah Molin uh

reminds his French readers the worst

refinement and wickedness the most

glacial uh technicality in the Commerce

of human flesh and in genocide remains

so difficult to find that has vanished

from

historiography

um

and uh in any case uh I just kind of

wanted to point that out and then

uh that this this was not just some sort

of accidental or consequential

aspect of the colonial period but

centuries ingrained into it and

ingrained into the people that are then

going to be a part of these uh uh

Colonial worlds that are of backgrounds

that are going to be seen as inferior

to um non Europeans I mean to to uh

Europeans um so I'm going to put on this

clip and I want you to reflect on it

we're then going to talk about um the

British in

India and I'm going to move on then uh

from there talking about um the

Encounters of Europeans and Asians the

switch there and then we're going to I'm

talk about Haiti's Revolution mixed with

the United States and then I'm going to

cover um the Irish re Rebellion quickly

I'm going to try to actually kind of go

through a lot of these um relatively uh

quickly at this point um and then we'll

move on to the next chapter