Liberty, Fraternity, Exile: Haiti & Jamaica After Emancipation

Overview: This briefing document summarizes the key themes, arguments, and important facts presented by Matthew Smith in the interview regarding his book. The book examines the interconnected histories of Haiti and Jamaica between 1830 and 1915, focusing on the flow of people, ideas, and political dynamics between the two islands. Smith argues for understanding the Caribbean as a connected region, challenging narratives that center external powers and highlighting the internal dynamics and shared experiences of these neighboring nations.

Main Themes and Key Ideas:

1. The Concept of “Liberty” as Evolving and Mobile: Smith emphasizes that “liberty” is not a static concept but one that changes over time and for different groups. While the Haitian Revolution offered a foundational definition of liberty from colonialism and slavery, Smith’s book focuses on the smaller definitions of liberty that evolved for individuals who left Haiti for Jamaica during the period. For these exiles, the act of leaving Haiti represented a search for a different kind of liberty, and their concept of freedom was mobile, moving with them as they sought spaces to exercise and redefine it.

• Quote: “What I arrived at is this point that. There is no static or one definition that the concept changes over time and by different groups of people.”
• Quote: “There’s a search for different kind of liberty. And it’s also even the action of being able to go out and do that search to, to leave.”
• Quote: “Their concept of what Freedom slash liberty is, has to be moving with them. It has to be a mobile concept.”

1. Connected History vs. Comparative History: Smith explicitly frames his book as a connected history rather than a comparative one. The narrative is structured to show the deep and constant interconnections between Haiti and Jamaica, arguing that it’s impossible to understand one in isolation from the other during this period. This connection existed on multiple levels: familial, political, economic, and cultural.

• Quote: “For me, the book, I always say that the book is a story, it’s not a comparative history, it’s a connected history.”
• Quote: “It’s really meant to show the connection that the construction of the book is set up. That way. You start out in one eye in Jamaica, then you move to Haiti, and then at a certain point it blends and then the narrative is going back and forth that there’s no single Haiti or single. It’s all connected. ’cause that’s really the world that they lived in.”

1. Exile as a Consequence and Shaping Force: Exile is central to the book’s title and argument. Smith sees exile not just as a personal trial but as a consequence of post-colonialism affecting the entire Caribbean, particularly the Haitians in his story. It represented a search for belonging and a space to claim one’s identity. Many subjects of the book found themselves in some degree of exile, which further shaped their understanding of liberty and their connection to Jamaica.

• Quote: “Exile as part of a consequence of post-colonialism, not just for Haiti, but for the whole Caribbean, but especially for the Haitian. A story that I tell.”
• Quote: “Exile just came, just meant all of that to me.”

1. The Post-Emancipation Period (starting 1830s) as a Crucial Shift: Smith chose the 1830s as a starting point due to the end of slavery in the British Caribbean, including Jamaica. This opened up ports for trade and created a space for migration between Haiti (which was already independent and “free”) and Jamaica (which was now a “free” nation after slavery ended). This shift allowed for increased engagement at both national and sub-national levels.

• Quote: “The next big part of the Caribbean to have freedom from slavery after Haiti was of course the British Islands of the Caribbean in the 1830s. And so what happened then was that it opened the ports for trade.”
• Quote: “There was a definite change after freedom from slavery in Jamaica because that change then enabled. Haiti Jamaica to be seen as a free place that Haitians could go to more and the national and the subnational levels engage with.”

1. Moving Beyond the Haitian Revolution (1804): A significant motivation for Smith was to study Haiti as a “real full place” defined by more than just the revolution of 1804. He wanted to explore the daily lives and concerns of people in the 19th century, who were grappling with contemporary leaders and issues rather than solely focusing on the founders of the nation. Studying the period after 1804 provides a different and deeper view into Haiti’s past.

• Quote: “I, in my career have been very committed to thinking and researching Haiti as a real full place. Very much like how I thought in research Jamaica, where I’m from… as a real full place and not just a place defined by one event, as much as that event constructed a notion and a belonging, but it wasn’t the only thing.”
• Quote: “It involved really moving beyond the ways in which this story could be shaped from 1791 coming down.”
• Quote: “Often people don’t engage with Haiti seriously after 1804 in the Caribbean.”

1. Elite Connections and Interests: The elites of both Jamaica and Haiti were significantly entwined. Jamaican elites, particularly the mixed-race and dark-skinned merchant classes who gained rights in 1829 (partly influenced by Haitian exiles), saw personal benefit and profit in an open relationship with Haiti. This deepened the connection between the two islands.

• Quote: “The Haitian and Jamaican elite classes are very entwined. But it was very prominent then. So the whole idea that there was something personal to benefit or profit from an open relationship with Haiti was something that the elites were invested in because they had personal connections with Haitian elites.”

1. The Morant Bay Rebellion (1865) as a Watershed Moment for Jamaica: This event is presented as a high point in the book, after which the narrative shifts. The Morant Bay Rebellion was feared by the Jamaican elite as potentially becoming Jamaica’s revolutionary moment, leading to the dissolution of the local assembly and the island becoming a Crown Colony directly ruled by Britain. The fear of becoming “another Haiti” was a stated justification for this decision.

• Quote: “In 1865, which was the Morant Rebellion in Ha in Jamaica. People fear that could be Jamaica’s revolutionary moment where Jamaica could become like Haiti.”
• Quote: “Jamaican assembly dissolved itself and used as a justification they didn’t want to become another Haiti, which was quite shocking that they would say that.”

1. Differing Approaches to Independence and Stability: The interview touches on the contrast between Haiti’s revolutionary approach to freedom and Jamaica’s more incremental path to self-governance. While some in Jamaica lamented not having a revolution like Haiti’s, believing it would lead to greater self-sufficiency, many people (both then and now) felt that a revolutionary overthrow could lead to isolation and difficulty in constructing a fair and equal independent state, citing Haiti as an example.

• Quote: “There is a distinction between how people understand what it means to be free from oppression and free from colonial rule and revolution.”
• Quote: “Many people think, thought then back then that the whole concept of a revolutionary overthrow could do more harm than good in the end.”

1. President Boyer’s Rule and Exile: Smith discusses President Jean-Pierre Boyer, highlighting his long rule, his controversial policies like the indemnity to France and the code rural, and the militarized state he created. What particularly interested Smith was Boyer’s exile to Jamaica after his overthrow in 1843. The 1842 earthquake is presented as a catalyst that revealed the fragility of Boyer’s rigid state structure and contributed to his demise.

• Quote: “What interested me about boy early on was not just the long years he ruled ’cause he ruled for a long time. But that, that rule ended with him coming to Jamaica.”
• Quote: “The 1842 earthquake was the catalyst that sort of brought his demise and you said what he was the last of the revolutionaries and then the first. Kuta ex. Yeah. First one to go into exile.”

1. The Role of Natural Disasters: Earthquakes (specifically 1842 in Haiti and 1907 in Jamaica) and other natural disasters are seen as defining fissures that reveal much about the society. They can expose the fragility of state structures, as seen with the 1842 earthquake and Boyer’s government.

• Quote: “What is earthquakes Always a defining fissure and so many metaphorically in ha United init history… natural disasters that reveal a lot about the society itself.”
• Quote: “When you have such a rigid state structure, it’s not just natural disaster. Any kind of fish, any kind of opening, any kind of upset can then they call it that, start the fragility, really start to show.”

1. The Power of the “Chef d’avion”: During Boyer’s rule and beyond, the “chef d’avion” (rural section chiefs) were instrumental in extending state control into the provinces. They were granted significant autonomy and authority to enforce policies, particularly regarding the economy (forcing cultivation) and state protection. This created a rural hierarchy that influenced Haitian political culture later on.

• Quote: “What it did was essentially was a form of investing in them, their own autonomy to run the sections that they were in charge of in their way.”
• Quote: “It introduces into Haitian political life and culture, this kind of internal hierarchy that, that, comes to dominate. Later on.”

1. “Moral Revolutions” and Cycles of Overthrow: Smith discusses the concept of “moral revolutions” used by Haitians in the 19th century to describe the frequent overthrows of government. While distinct from the Haitian Revolution of 1804, these moments of dramatic change in government were perceived and labeled as revolutions by the people, legitimizing the reorientation of power.

• Quote: “The whole idea that Haiti is, I think one of the people are sighting it refer to Haiti as the land of revolutions, a plural.”
• Quote: “They defined what happened as a revolution… so it justifies or legitimates, marching in from the south or the north. Taking claim of parliament because we’ve had a revolution.”

1. British Perceptions and Influence: British observers, elites, and governors in Jamaica viewed Haiti’s political problems as a “bad example” of what could happen in Jamaica. This fear, combined with Britain’s shifting imperial focus away from the Caribbean, influenced their policies and perceptions of Haiti.

• Quote: “The British observers, the British elites, the British governors in Jamaica, look at Haiti as. The bad example of what could happen in Jamaica.”

1. The Indemnity and the Quest for Diplomatic Recognition: Smith discusses the indemnity paid by Haiti to France, acknowledging multiple theories for why Boyer signed it, including potential beliefs about Haiti’s gold reserves or the need to protect elite property. However, he leans towards the need for diplomatic recognition as an overriding concern. The desire to be seen as autonomous and recognized internationally was paramount for the fragile state.

• Quote: “If there is one that over, one overriding concern is that the need for some form of diplomatic recognition that could evolve after this thing with France was settled.”
• Quote: “It’s a scary prospect to be still seen as, in, by 1825, 20 years after you declare independence to be seen as not autonomous and not diplomatically recognized.”

1. Kingston as a Center for Haitian Exiles: Kingston, being geographically close and a British colony with liberal policies regarding protection for political exiles, became a frequent destination for Haitian heads of state, ministers, and other figures seeking refuge. This created a concentrated Haitian community in parts of the city, fostering deep familial and social connections between the two islands.

• Quote: “The main reason is that the British were liberal enough to, the British policies, liberal policies enable them to come and get protection in a British country. And because Jamaica was so close to Haiti, it was very, appealing to them.”
• Quote: “A lot of the Haitians who arrived to Kingston… tended to stay and cluster around certain parts of the city of Kingston.”

1. Jamaican Migration to Haiti: While less voluminous than Haitian migration to Jamaica, there was a significant flow of Jamaicans to Haiti, particularly by the turn of the 20th century. Jamaicans constituted the majority of English speakers in Haiti and settled in areas with proximity to ports. This included itinerant traders and prominent elite figures who established themselves in Haiti. Additionally, some Jamaicans visited Haiti for holidays or out of pride for its status as a free black nation.

• Quote: “By the time you get to the turn of the 20th. The majority of English speakers in Haiti are Jamaicans.”
• Quote: “You also had, coming back now to the 19th century Jamaicans, who felt a lot of pride that Haiti was a black country, that Haiti was not a colony who wanted to see for themselves and wanted to spend.”

1. Familial and Kinship Networks: A crucial element of the connected history is the deep web of familial and kinship networks spanning the two islands. Smith’s research, including mapping addresses and tracing family connections, revealed how people were connected through direct family ties and broader kinship networks, making it difficult to stop movement between the islands.

• Quote: “I start to follow the family networks, who knows who, who marries who and how, all of that. So the interconnect and this really incredible web of of familial kinship that is even people are connected through kinship networks…”

1. Challenging the “Failed State” Narrative: Smith expresses strong discomfort with labeling Haiti a “failed state,” arguing that it disrespects the country’s history and people. He believes that Haiti’s challenges are not predetermined but result from a complex interplay of internal dynamics, external pressures (particularly from the United States in the late 19th and 20th centuries), and contingent events. He emphasizes the “multiple variables that Haiti had the content with.”

• Quote: “I don’t have a very good argument [against the failed state label]… because every time I turn on the news today, I’m like, okay. Yeah. Yeah. And we all deal with that question.” (expressing the popular difficulty, but then immediately countering with his historian’s perspective)
• Quote: “It’s a disrespect to the history, to the people, to the past and to the country to somehow assume their spaces. And so many times people assume hate that when it’s not.”
• Quote: “The big question then is given all that Haiti had achieved and all that Haiti had to fight against, was it ever a sense that we want this to fail? I don’t think so.”

1. Moments of Political Calm: Smith highlights that the 19th century in Haiti was not solely defined by constant upheaval. There were moments of political calm and relatively long rulers, challenging the assumption that successive coups were the only reality.

• Quote: “The truth is, Haiti had some long rulers during the 19th century. Take a country like Mexico. Mexico had a lot of change. More heads of government changing in the 19th century than Haiti.”
• Quote: “There were moments of quiet that, you know, and then the question is, the rupture of that quiet was not an inevitability.”

1. The Historian’s Presence and “Energy”: Smith strongly believes in the importance of experiencing the places he writes about. He consciously wrote parts of his book in Haiti and Jamaica to absorb the “energy” and “vibe” of the locations. He feels this physical presence is crucial for understanding the historical landscape and the lives of the people he studies, going beyond just archival research.

• Quote: “I consciously made Britain, the United States and France back characters. That is more story of. It’s a Caribbean story as I say. Yes. And that to me is what was really essential in putting it.”
• Quote: “I wrote, I made sure to write part of it in Haiti and part of it in Jamaica. Because I wanted to have that energy. I never wrote any of what, what’s in the book in the United States or outside. It had to have that energy.”
• Quote: “I am trying really to do two things. One, I’m trying to understand the people I’m writing about, and I can’t only do that by looking at the references to them in the archives. I want to see what that’s like.”
• Quote: “I need to have that sentiment of it, the sentiment and the sediment. ’cause it’s, the sentiment is the feeling, but the sediment is like the what’s underneath the sea. And feel that in my hands and have that in my mind when I’m writing about this.”

Most Important Facts/Ideas:

• The central argument is that the histories of Haiti and Jamaica between 1830 and 1915 were deeply interconnected and should be understood as a connected history.
• The concept of “liberty” for Haitian exiles in Jamaica was a mobile and evolving one, representing a search for personal freedom beyond the national definition established by the Revolution.
• The end of slavery in Jamaica in the 1830s was a key factor in increasing migration and interaction between the two islands.
• Elite networks, driven by personal and economic interests, played a significant role in deepening the connections.
• Kingston served as a major destination and hub for Haitian exiles, fostering concentrated communities and inter-island familial ties.
• Smith strongly challenges the “failed state” narrative for Haiti, emphasizing the complex interplay of internal and external factors (including foreign intervention) that shaped its trajectory.
• Smith’s methodology involves not only archival research but also immersing himself in the physical environment of Haiti and Jamaica to gain a deeper understanding and convey the “energy” of the places.

This briefing document provides a comprehensive overview of the main points discussed in the interview, highlighting the key themes and significant contributions of Matthew Smith’s book to the understanding of Caribbean history.