It was the revolution that changed the way individuals and groups perceived themselves and their place in the world, this is how one specialist describes it. What revolution could this scholar have described, was it the American Revolution or even the French Revolution? No! This is the Haitian Revolution, which constitutes the only successful slave revolt in history. This revolution represents the most thorough case study of revolutionary change in modern world history and is considered a defining moment in the history of Africans in the new world. The Haitian Revolution from 1791 to 1804 was a period of harsh and brutal conflicts in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (today known as Haiti), which led to the elimination of slavery and made Haiti a republic led by people of color of African descent. . Haiti is also the second state to declare independence in the Americas. But why did the Haitian revolution take place? Because the Haitian people were oppressed and enslaved. Who was their oppressor(s), why were the people oppressed, and how were they oppressed? Haitians were socially oppressed by the French and this oppression was due to land/natural resources, racial differences and an imbalance of power which led Haitians to revolt and resist this oppression with methods violent methods that helped them gain their freedom, but violence is Nonviolent methods could also be used to resist social oppression. Such non-violent direct action could also be used. The French socially oppressed the people of Haiti. The French socially oppressed the Haitian people and the slaves they imported there to benefit from their services. Social oppression is a concept that describes a relationship of domination and subordination...... middle of paper ......pressure. Because social oppression can be institutionalized and ingrained in daily functioning, it is important to address this problem. It is therefore important to be educated about violence and oppression so that conflicts can be resolved non-violently and positive change in society can occur. Works Cited Cultural Conversations: The Presence of the Past. Kelly “Nonviolent Social Defense”. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001. Print. Cultural conversations: The presence of the past. King “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001. Print. Hamilton, Tim and Sharma, Satish. “The Violence and Oppression of Power Relations” Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice 9.4 (1997). March 22, 2011Knight, W. Franklin, “The Haitian Revolution” The University of Chicago Press The American Historical Review, vol. 105, No. 1 (February., 2000. )