HI2H6-15 Freedom Fighting: Race, Slavery and War in the Revolutionary Caribbean, 1790-1812
Introductory description
This 15 CATS second-year module option introduces students to the tumultuous years across the European colonies of the Caribbean that followed the French Revolution and the subsequent outbreak of warfare between imperial powers. The birth of Haiti, the first black-led republic, from the ashes of French Saint-Domingue in 1804 was the most significant historical occurrence in this period, but this module offers a wider perspective. It examines how various social groups, most notably free and enslaved people of African descent, sought to survive in and shape the region by drawing on established beliefs, traditions of authority and practices of warfare, as well as by seeking to mobilise, or suppress, new ideas of liberty.
Module aims
During the term, students will study the period from Vincent Ogé’s uprising in Saint-Domingue to the Aponte Rebellion in Cuba, and encompassing military interventions by, and conflict between, Britain, Spain and France. They will examine the role various social groups played as allies and enemies across the Caribbean, including free and enslaved people of African descent, white colonists, indigenous Caribs and Maroons. The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) looms large, of course, but students will also learn about less well-known insurgencies and counter-insurgencies in Grenada, Jamaica, Cuba and elsewhere in order to develop comparative perspectives on war and revolution across the region. The module also attends to the connections between these events, especially those in Saint-Domingue, and to the circulation of ideas and individuals within and beyond the region. In conceptual terms, the module seeks to eschew the usual categories of 'power', 'domination' and 'resistance' often employed in histories of slave societies to consider a series of thematic realms - including 'communication', 'belief' and 'violence' - that brought different social groups and individuals together in asymmetrical ways as they fought for - and against - freedom.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Week 1. Introduction: Empires, plantations and slavery
Week 2. A revolutionary cockpit
Week 3. Old beliefs, new ideas
Week 4. Communications, conspiracies and censorship
Week 5. Labour and liberty
Week 6. Reading week - no seminar
Week 7. Authority and leadership
Week 8. Acts of violence
Week 9. Shifting alliances
Week 10. Conclusions: The conch and the cane
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate detailed knowledge of late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Caribbean history, particularly its political, social and military dimensions
- Utilise comparative perspectives on events and processes in different European empires and colonial societies
- Show capacity to engage with relevant contributions made by existing and emergent scholarship
- Demonstrate enhanced study, writing and communication skills, in both written work and group discussion
- Exhibit a capacity for independent study skills, clear/concise expression and critical analysis
- Exhibit improved ability to assess and evaluate historical sources
Indicative reading list
Generic Reading lists can be found in Talis
Subject specific skills
See learning outcomes
Transferable skills
See learning outcomes
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Seminars | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Tutorials | 1 session of 1 hour (1%) |
| Private study | 131 hours (87%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
No private study requirements defined for this module.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| Seminar contribution | 10% | No | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| 1000 word applied task (biographical account) | 40% | Yes (extension) | |
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1000-word critical biographical account of someone who was active during the 'Revolutionary Caribbean' (illustrated if possible). Students should reflect on the limits to what is known about the individual, in terms of sources, and their legacies, including how they are remembered today. |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| 3000 word essay | 50% | Yes (extension) | |
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3000-word essay answering a question of the student's choice, with the topic agreed with module tutor |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
Written feedback on essay plan and essay
Student/tutor dialogues in one-to-one tutorials
Courses
This module is Optional for:
- Year 2 of UENA-VQ32 Undergraduate English and History
This module is Option list B for:
- Year 2 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History