“On landing, we found the town a heap of ruins. A more terrible picture of desolation cannot be imagined. Passing through streets choaked with rubbish, we reached with difficulty a house which had escaped the general fate. The people live in tents, or make a kind of shelter, by laying a few boards across the half-consumed beams; for the buildings being here of hewn stone , with walls three feet thick, only the roofs and floors have been destroyed.”(Letter 1, pg 61)

This is an excerpt from the book Secret History; or, The Horrors of St. Domingo edited by Michael J. Drexler. The context behind this quote is, that the narrator is going to the French  colony of St. Domingo to follow her sisters “fortunes”. The quote discuses the narrators arrival onto the colony of St. Domingo after the revolution. They describe what they first see as “A more terrible picture of desolation…”, a town in ruin in which they go on to describe in more detail, stating that the streets were “choaked with rubbish”, this means that the streets of the town they arrived at was flooded with garbage. However, apparently the house that the narrator arrives out has managed to “escape the general fate.” which to me means its managed to somehow remain mostly intact. The narrator goes on to tell the reader how these people are living, in tents or make shift shelters made of a few boards and such, overall speaking of the destruction this town has seen and how its left its populous in shambles.This quote is important because it illustrates to the reader howthe the narrator see’s this new land and the destruction the revolution had on the colony of St. Domingo. It shows us how the the narrator see’s this new land and

“Your friendship has shed a ray of light on my solitary way, and though removed from the influence of you immediate presence, I exist only in hope of seeing you again” (Letter V., page 79)

I found this line in the text very interesting because it is the first time the writer of the letters gets into depth about who she is writing to and the significance of that person in her life. When she says “solitary way”, she is talking about her existing alone, her companionless life. The friendship she has with this man she is referring to, Colonel Burr, has lightened up her life a little bit, and has brought her some type of joy. She continues to acknowledge that they have been separated, but mentions that her main concern is reuniting with this man soon, and that she “exists only in the hope of seeing you again”.

This line relates back to the text as a whole because she talks about her previous life and history with this man, prior to this line. She mentions her being an orphan, without any friends or family around her, with little hope or faith in life itself. Then, this man’s care saves her. He rescues her and raises her, an act that she will forever be grateful for. She calls their friendship “so necessary to my happiness that the idea of losing you is insupportable”.  He must be of great importance to her if she is writing all these letters to him.

“Flying from a husband, whose pursuit I dreaded more than death; leaving behind a sister, for whom my heart bled, but whom I could never think of involving in my precarious fate!” Page 140

This quote is important in the Secret History; or, The Horrors of St.Domingo section for the time it is brought up where Clara is finally doing what she wants instead of being faithful to an abusive husband. Before she had stated this, she had told St.Louis she didn’t want to be married with him anymore and this is while they are in St. Jago. He has too much power over her that he just forcefully keeps her until this point in which she has made arrangements to live with Madame V, a considerable friend, five miles away from her current home. This quote is essential because Clara is growing out of a mindset which she was always on St. Louis side and listened to all his desires regardless of the disrespect and inexistent love. This was the beginning to the end of the letters and her escape from all sadness.

This statement is essential to the entire section of letters because it shows how stressful the time was for people and the big decisions many had to make. Once the British got involved, the slaves had help, and they went on massacres throughout the towns to gain attention. Once a sort of treaty was signed off by the French, residents of St. Domingo were to evacuate, and while leaving with your belongings, it would be taken by British soldiers. People stayed but only if they were respected by other slaves but very little property owners survived. This quote can show how frustrated Clara was and how much other people would’ve been having to start all over in a foreign country.

“But to hear of the distress which these unfortunate people have suffered, would fill with horror the stoutest heart, and make them the most obdurate melt with pity” (page 61)

This quote reflects and provides the attitude of the Haitians during the revolution, as they had suffered too much from the French people. Mary, the writer of the letters to her friend back in the United States, uses the words “stoutest” to describe the heart of the Haitians in order to convey the sense of bravery the people there had in themselves. They started a revolution against injustice and inequality. Mary also uses the word “obdurate” to provide an idea of the attitude of the Haitians in knowing that they would not quit until they got what they wanted. This was said of them even though she heard of the “distress” and the suffering these people went through, and that clearly shows a lot about them.

I found this quote perfect for the entire letter, and especially perfect that it was placed in the first letter out of the many that are to come because it reflects and helps Mary’s friend realize and open a perspective to how strong these people were. In the first letter, it is only described about the revolution and the culture of the people. I feel as if this letter is a stepping stone and has a foreshadowing effect for the people of Haiti, as they will have success to come in the future.  The two words “stoutest” and “obdurate” are perfect for these series of letters ahead.

The text of Secret History features the claim that often historical events remembered and commemorated are treated simplistically and rarely looked at objectively. Most revolutions for example are remembered for the change they bring without consideration being placed to the other factors involved; not all of which proving worthy of romanticizing. The Haitian revolution of 1791 involved arguably the most successful slave revolt in history. The Haitian people of both free and formerly enslaved managed to revolt against their masters and successfully fend off French, British and Spanish efforts of military repossession that soon followed. These achievements paired with government establishment however were not enough for the Western World.

European nations such as France along with the early United States consciously refused to recognize Haiti as a nation. Furthermore, well aware of its development into a slave economy, southern Colonial America feared the consequences of a similar revolt within their land. In response, direct censorship and manipulation of media sources played a role in formed opinions of the entire movement as “The slave rebellion was drained of political and historical context in the American periodical press and became instead a theater of horror and gore perpetrated by animalistic brigands loosed from their chains.”. Unfortunately, the claims of the papers served to be partial exaggerations rather than complete fabrications. The established republic by the newly self-emancipated drew inspiration but also quickly looked to distinguish itself from France. We can see this within the first chapter we learn that “The first official flag of the new Haitian Republic appropriated the tri-color model of France. The blue band to represent the blacks and the red to commemorate their blood were retained…the white band however, was discarded. The symbolic act of stripping whiteness from the flag was doubled by the strategic, if tragic, massacre of the remaining white French inhabitants in 1804.”. Those fearing local slave revolt were hardly in the wrong as the threat of violence in acts of retaliation quickly began to materialize.

When visiting the Alexander Hamilton exhibit , I came across motives such as an entrepreneurial drive, middle class knowledge, and others  that have been discussed in both class. He never became a president but with his ambitious attitude he was able to influence America’s government and economy. Alexander took part in the development, ratification of the Constitution, and even tested the limits of it for the better of everyone. He was also the first secretary of treasury which led to the federal government taken over the states’ debts from the Revolutionary war and created a national bank. Alexander Hamilton was confident in his opinions and was always ready to debate but throughout his final years, he was against laws which restricted immigrants and free speech. At last, he dueled against a childhood friend with different political views in 1804 which was the last of his presence.

Alexander Hamilton much like Robinson Crusoe were interested in doing things that they had interest in, instead of being average. Robinson Crusoe wanted to sail all over the world rather than following his fathers advice and Alexander Hamilton wanted to help people which he studied hard to be a lawyer. Both wanted to be successful but to obtain it they studied hard and made the best of their situations. Robinson Crusoe would learn from sailers how to sail, survive in new lands, and how to generate his own money off lands. Alexander Hamilton went to college to become a lawyer, he was a war general, and very vocal in society about his opinions therefore making them both independent after learning.

As we discussed in our history class when the French people rebelled and eventually made a National Assembly which represented the citizens so was Alexander on the same views. One of the primary sources at the exhibit called “The Farmer Refuted” by Alexander hmself stated that “must be a voluntary compact,between the rulers and the ruled” on issues about government such as the French citizens believed in the same because a nation is suppose to have a ruler for their benefit , not to torture them. In another source , Alexander made a “Plan of a Constitution for America” which he wrote at the Philadelphia convention with all the other state representatives and he created a part of the constitution  which gives all fairness among people and provide change. His input was that the federal government would dominate the states, a president could appoint state governors, control state militias, and veto state laws. Today we see it as a normal thing but at that time many opposed it being bad for society.

Etienne Polverel, Leger Felicite Sonthonax, and Alexander Hamilton were against slavery and demanded a change. Although Alexander had slaves, he felt bad, and took a stance when many others in the community did so. While Etienne Polverel and Leger Felicite Sonthonax made the change and proclaimed emancipation of slavery in Saint-Domingue they also had wars which helped to get attention into the rigged system which they lived upon. Alexander Hamilton was part of the New York Manumission Society ran by John Jay and this helped to bring freedom to all enslaved New Yorkers but after a long time wait. Alexander Hamilton himself was comparable to many of the situations we touched upon both classes.

Alexander Hamilton accomplished many things in life, before he was shot by Aaron Burr. Alexander Hamilton had many roles. He was a great lawyer, he was chief for George Washington during the American Revolution, he was United States’ first secretary of Treasure and lastly he was a founding father.

He strived to build a stronger federal government by arguing the Articles of Confederation was too weak and didn’t protect the people or the country itself. (Alexander Hamilton “Plan of a Constitution for America”)So he suggested a new Constitution. He focused mainly on strengthening the central government. Along with ratifying the Constitution, he also took part in strengthening the economy in the United States (After Alonzo Chappel Portrait of Alexander Hamilton). Even though Alexander Hamilton wanted to relieve the debt America owe during the American Revolution, the Southern States were afraid of the sudden shift in power. The Southern states were fearful of the central government having too much power. The fear of one side having more power is similar to when the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was created. The French had a National Assembly to discuss the corruption of the government. Those who were in the higher estates obviously didn’t want the lower estates to have a say on the new laws because they believed they had the most power and that the lower estates opinions didn’t matter. They were scared that they were going to lose power to the lower classes.

Similarly, when Hamilton proposed the idea of a stronger central government, the Southern states didn’t agree to it because that means the states would lose power. So Hamilton had to come up with a compromise to make sure the Southern States will be loyal to the government but Hamilton will still have a strong central government. The National Assembly however didn’t have much of a compromise. They stated that all man has natural rights at birth regardless of class. So the National Assembly formed seventeen articles that protected basically everyone in the estates. Obviously different people from different estates had issue when specific articles. But the goal of the articles was to make sure the lower estates will have a say in the government as well. In Hamilton’s fight for a new constitution and stronger economy, he had to use persuasion and compromise to get what he wanted.

The forming of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and the forming of the new Constitution and stronger economy both started out with difficulties as one side feared of losing their power. However both of these documents were formed to protect their citizens and to protect their countries. Therefore there were sacrifices that had to make for both sides. Luckily for Hamilton, there was a compromise where both sides were happy with the discussions. But for the National Assembly a set rule was made and it affected everyone in a good way or a bad way. Even though there was no compromise, overall the results benefited many.