Les premiers colons de l’ancienne Haïti et leurs attaches en métropole, à l’aube des premiers établissements (1650-1700)

When the first long-lasting settlements appeared in what was to become Saint-Domingue, the settlers were only a handful. Their isolation was reinforced by the geographical relief which separated the different settlement areas, by the remoteness of the Lesser Antilles, by commercial links which long...

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Main Author: Philippe Hroděj
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: UMR 5136- France, Amériques, Espagne – Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs (FRAMESPA) 2012-03-01
Series:Les Cahiers de Framespa
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Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/1050
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author Philippe Hroděj
author_facet Philippe Hroděj
author_sort Philippe Hroděj
collection DOAJ
description When the first long-lasting settlements appeared in what was to become Saint-Domingue, the settlers were only a handful. Their isolation was reinforced by the geographical relief which separated the different settlement areas, by the remoteness of the Lesser Antilles, by commercial links which long remained irregular, and by unceasing wars due to the belated implementation of treatises and anticipation of conflicts. The astonishing death rate during the first year was an additional factor: the climate was hostile and gained control. In these conditions, the people who lived there had to invent new landmarks and to become closer to the other European nations. In short, French, English, and Spanish people knew each other and perfectly knew the Dutch merchants who were often the only ones able to provide supplies. Maintaining a link thus had value only for those who survived in a still new environment. This population was heterogeneous: from the indentured servant (enlisted to cultivate tobacco or to hunt) to the officer, from the deserter to the settler, to the missionaries, buccaneers, pirates, or privateers, so many originally different lives finally met in America. The ability to move over long distances was extraordinary, and dealing with the Atlantic without evoking the Indian Ocean and the South Sea makes no sense. Those liquid zones were so familiar that they became natural extensions. What remains is the attachment to the motherland maintained by family ties. Become looser, probably overshadowed in public archives, these ties persisted. The need for money, the necessity for the colonist to have someone trustful to manage his business on the other side of the ocean was compensated by the interest of knowing someone in America to send a youngest son to. And there was always, or at least often (even if this became fainter as time passed), the plan of returning home after making a fortune.
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spelling doaj-art-1707d1411ecd4ec695458fef9ba024932025-01-09T15:43:56ZengUMR 5136- France, Amériques, Espagne – Sociétés, Pouvoirs, Acteurs (FRAMESPA)Les Cahiers de Framespa1760-47612012-03-01910.4000/framespa.1050Les premiers colons de l’ancienne Haïti et leurs attaches en métropole, à l’aube des premiers établissements (1650-1700)Philippe HrodějWhen the first long-lasting settlements appeared in what was to become Saint-Domingue, the settlers were only a handful. Their isolation was reinforced by the geographical relief which separated the different settlement areas, by the remoteness of the Lesser Antilles, by commercial links which long remained irregular, and by unceasing wars due to the belated implementation of treatises and anticipation of conflicts. The astonishing death rate during the first year was an additional factor: the climate was hostile and gained control. In these conditions, the people who lived there had to invent new landmarks and to become closer to the other European nations. In short, French, English, and Spanish people knew each other and perfectly knew the Dutch merchants who were often the only ones able to provide supplies. Maintaining a link thus had value only for those who survived in a still new environment. This population was heterogeneous: from the indentured servant (enlisted to cultivate tobacco or to hunt) to the officer, from the deserter to the settler, to the missionaries, buccaneers, pirates, or privateers, so many originally different lives finally met in America. The ability to move over long distances was extraordinary, and dealing with the Atlantic without evoking the Indian Ocean and the South Sea makes no sense. Those liquid zones were so familiar that they became natural extensions. What remains is the attachment to the motherland maintained by family ties. Become looser, probably overshadowed in public archives, these ties persisted. The need for money, the necessity for the colonist to have someone trustful to manage his business on the other side of the ocean was compensated by the interest of knowing someone in America to send a youngest son to. And there was always, or at least often (even if this became fainter as time passed), the plan of returning home after making a fortune.https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/1050settlementdeath rateindentured servantracially mixed personsslaverybuccaneer
spellingShingle Philippe Hroděj
Les premiers colons de l’ancienne Haïti et leurs attaches en métropole, à l’aube des premiers établissements (1650-1700)
Les Cahiers de Framespa
settlement
death rate
indentured servant
racially mixed persons
slavery
buccaneer
title Les premiers colons de l’ancienne Haïti et leurs attaches en métropole, à l’aube des premiers établissements (1650-1700)
title_full Les premiers colons de l’ancienne Haïti et leurs attaches en métropole, à l’aube des premiers établissements (1650-1700)
title_fullStr Les premiers colons de l’ancienne Haïti et leurs attaches en métropole, à l’aube des premiers établissements (1650-1700)
title_full_unstemmed Les premiers colons de l’ancienne Haïti et leurs attaches en métropole, à l’aube des premiers établissements (1650-1700)
title_short Les premiers colons de l’ancienne Haïti et leurs attaches en métropole, à l’aube des premiers établissements (1650-1700)
title_sort les premiers colons de l ancienne haiti et leurs attaches en metropole a l aube des premiers etablissements 1650 1700
topic settlement
death rate
indentured servant
racially mixed persons
slavery
buccaneer
url https://journals.openedition.org/framespa/1050
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