Dutty Boukman

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Dutty Boukman
Bornc. 1767
Senegambia[1]
Died7 November 1791
Other namesBoukman Dutty
Known forCatalyst to the Haitian Revolution

Dutty Boukman (or Boukman Dutty; died 7 November 1791) was an early leader of the

Gambia
), he was enslaved to
houngan (priest).[2]

According to some contemporary accounts, Boukman, alongside

mambo, presided over the religious ceremony at Bois Caïman, in August 1791, that served as the catalyst to the 1791 slave revolt which is usually considered the beginning of the Haitian Revolution
.

Boukman was a key leader of the slave revolt in the

Le Cap‑Français region in the north of the colony. He was killed by the French planters and colonial troops on 7 November 1791,[3][4] just a few months after the beginning of the uprising. The French then publicly displayed Boukman's head in an attempt to dispel the aura of invincibility that Boukman had cultivated. The fact that French authorities did this illustrates their belief in the importance Boukman held to Haitian people during this time.[5]

Background

In about 1767, Dutty Boukman was born in the region of

Abrahamic religion. The name Dutty bookman literally means a dirty bookman i.e. meaning he most likely wore dirty clothes and a man known to be into book... in the Jamaican dialect "Dutty" means dirty and book man means someone that's into books.[7]

Ceremony at the Bois Caïman

Contemporaneous accounts place the ceremony at

Biassou, Jeannot
, and others. An animal was sacrificed, an oath was taken, and Boukman gave the following speech:

...This God who made the sun, who brings us light from above, who raises the sea, and who makes the storm rumble. That God is there, do you understand? Hiding in a cloud, He watches us, he sees all that the whites do! The God of the whites pushes them to crime, but he wants us to do good deeds. But the God who is so good orders us to vengeance. He will direct our hands, and give us help. Throw away the image of the God of the whites who thirsts for our tears. Listen to the liberty that speaks in all our hearts.

— Dutty Boukman[1]

According to

Gothenburg University researcher Markel Thylefors, "The event of the Bois Caïman ceremony forms an important part of Haitian national identity as it relates to the very genesis of Haiti."[8]

According to the Encyclopedia of African Religion, "Blood from the animal was given in a drink to the attendees to seal their fates in loyalty to the cause of liberation of Saint-Domingue."[9] A week later, 1800 plantations had been destroyed and 1000 slaveholders killed.[10][11] Boukman was not the first to attempt a slave uprising in Saint-Domingue, as he was preceded by others, such as

Padrejean in 1676, and François Mackandal in 1757. However, his large size, warrior-like appearance, and fearsome temper made him an effective leader and helped spark the Haitian Revolution.[12]

Legacy and references in popular culture

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 9781135016982
    .
  2. ISBN 978-0814722503
    .
  3. ISBN 978-1851097692
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0195170559
    .
  5. ISBN 0-679-72467-2
    . When Boukman was killed (fighting bravely) the Assembly stuck up his head in Le Cap with a placard: 'This is the head of Boukman, chief of the rebels.'
  6. ISBN 0-8147-1904-X. It is likely that Boukman was a Jamaican Muslim who had a Quran
    , and that he got his nickname from this. As many Muslims had done, and would continue to do, he had climbed the echelons of the slaves' power structure and had reached the top. He was a trusted, professional slave.
  7. ISBN 0-674-01304-2
    .
  8. ^ Thylefors, Markel (March 2009) "'Our Government is in Bwa Kayiman:' a Vodou Ceremony in 1791 and its Contemporary Signifcations" Archived 22 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine Stockholm Review of Latin American Studies, Issue No. 4
  9. ^ Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama. Encyclopedia of African religion, Volume 1 Sage Publications, p. 131.
  10. ^ Sylviane Anna Diouf, Servants of Allah p. 152
  11. ^ John Mason. African Religions in The Caribbean: Continuity and Change
  12. ^ John K. Thornton. I Am the Subject of the King of Congo: African Political Ideology and the Haitian Revolution Archived 23 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Millersville University of Pennsylvania
  13. ^ "Lolo Beaubrun: A Voice Of Hope In Haiti".
  14. ^ Haitian Bicentennial Committee Archived 26 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine (2004)
  15. ^ Orr, Niela. Critic's Notebook: Hollywood, Obama and the Boxing-In of Black Achievers ‘'The Hollywood Reporter'’. 18 December 2014.
  16. ^ GradeSaver (29 August 2022). "Krik? Krak! "A Wall of Fire Rising" Summary and Analysis | GradeSaver". www.gradesaver.com. Retrieved 21 July 2023.

Further reading

External links

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