What was the appeal of the values of the Revolution? When did disillusionment set in, and why? Why did so few women identify with the Revolution? These are some of the questions which recur in this fresh study which focuses on some of the major themes at the heart of the current debate on the French Revolution and the Counter-Revolution. The French Revolution, 1789-1804: - examines the human cost of Revolutionary change and the political ruthlessness of its key players - explores the continuities and ruptures in the unfolding of the Revolution up to 1804 and Napoleon's coronation as emperor - discusses the emergence of a new political culture, institutions, political participation and rhetoric - considers the social history of the 1790s with an assessment of the militarisation of France, violence and vandalism, and the social effects of economic changes - adopts a wide perspective and looks at the reception of Revolutionary values in Europe, the French colonies, and the United States Nigel Aston's concise study is essential reading for all those with an interest in this crucial moment in the creation of the modern world.

This volume details the first slave rebellion to have a successful outcome, leading to the establishment of Haiti as a free black republic and paving the way for the emancipation of slaves in the rest of the French Empire and the world. Incited by the French Revolution, the enslaved inhabitants of the French Caribbean began a series of revolts, and in 1791 plantation workers in Haiti, then known as Saint-Domingue, overwhelmed their planter owners and began to take control of the island. They achieved emancipation in 1794, and after successfully opposing Napoleonic forces eight years later, emerged as part of an independent nation in 1804. A broad selection of documents, all newly translated by the authors, is contextualized by a thorough introduction considering the very latest scholarship. Laurent Dubois and John D. Garrigus clarify for students the complex political, economic, and racial issues surrounding the revolution and its reverberations worldwide. Useful pedagogical tools include maps, illustrations, a chronology, and a selected bibliography.--Publisher description.

Toussaint L’Ouverture was the leader of the Haitian Revolution in the late eighteenth century, in which slaves rebelled against their masters and established the first black republic. In this collection of his writings and speeches, former Haitian politician Jean-Bertrand Aristide demonstrates L’Ouverture’s profound contribution to the struggle for equality.