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.