Entre el terror y la solidaridad : La influencia de la revolución haitiana en las independencias de Venezuela y Nueva Granada (1804-1825)

En este trabajo me propongo analizar la influencia de la revolución de Haití en las independencias de Venezuela y Colombia durante los años 1804-1825. Miintención es demostrar que las repercusiones del proceso haitiano fueron vastas, complejas y sufrieron importantes cambios durante el transcurso de los años. En líneas generales, la revolución generó pánico entre las elites criollas y peninsulares y esperanzas entre grupos de esclavos y pardos. Inicialmente los sectores criollos revolucionarios buscaron evitar todo contacto con la isla y eludir el modelo insurgente haitiano por considerar que produciría en la Tierra Firme una "guerra de razas" y una hecatombe similar a la que, en su opinión, allí había acontecido. Sin embargo, a partir de 1812-1813 debido a las dificultades de la guerra de independencia una fracción de la elite criolla comenzó a estrechar vínculos con la República del Sur de Haití a través de contactos diplomáticos y corsarios. Estas primeras relaciones, más bien tímidas, fueron la condición de posibilidad de un cambio importante que sobrevino en 1816. En dicho año, debido a la reconquista de la expedición realista, la mayoría de los líderes independentistas huyeron de Tierra Firme y tuvieron que exiliarse en Haití, uno de los pocos lugares donde encontraron refugio y apoyo. En aquel contexto, se dio el pacto entre Alexandre Petión y Simón Bolívar, por el cual el primero se comprometió a aportar armas, barcos y hombres a la causa patriota a cambio de la emancipación de los esclavos hispanoamericanos. Este acuerdo fue fundamental ya que no sólo posibilitó la exitosa contraofensiva independentista, sino que además le dio un cariz social al proceso revolucionario de Venezuela y Colombia. Así, a partir de 1816 y hasta 1821, se dieron numerosos contactos e incluso el gobierno de Jean Pierre Boyer (sucesor de Alexandre Petión) colaboró con otras dos expediciones a cargo de Gregor Mac Gregor para liberar Panamá y Río Hacha. Sin embargo, el cambio no fue total y aún durante estos años, los líderes criollos continuaron teniendo reparos frente al peligro de la explosión de un nuevo Haití en la Tierra Firme hispana. Por último, el fin de la guerra de independencia abrió un nuevo contexto en el cual aquellos miedos se intensificaron debido a la movilización social interna. Esto derivó en nuevo alejamiento y el gobierno de Colombia no sólo se negó a mantener relaciones con Haití, sino que incluso lo excluyó del Congreso de Panamá.

Financial bills and receipts, 1801-1804

This folder contains five bills and receipts.

Power of attorney for Joseph Chip, 1804 December 21

Handwritten draft of a power of attorney, in Croswell's hand, authorizing John Jones to act for mariner Joseph Chip.

Certificate to John Walton, guardian to Nathaniel Jarvis, 1804 November 22

This brief handwritten document certifies that the guardianship of Richard Nichols of Reading, Massachusetts, was granted to yeoman Thomas Hartshorn of Reading according to the records of the Probate Court in Framingham, Massachusetts. The document is attested by James Winthrop in his capacity as register of probate for Middlesex County.

E. Committee to frame rules, directions, and statutes of the Boylston Professorship of Rhetoric and Oratory, 1804

This subseries consists of a paper notebook containing a handwritten draft of the report presented to the Harvard Corporation on April 30, 1804 by the Committee to frame Rules, Directions, and Statutes of the Boylston Professorship of Rhetoric and Oratory. The handwritten report provides a numbered list of rules related to the Boylston Professorship and is dated April 16, 1804. The report is followed by a certification signed May 1, 1804 from President Joseph Willard that he was unable to attend the meeting of the Corporation to discuss the professorship.

Ledger for the Classes of 1795-1804, 1795-1804

The leather bound folio account book kept by Steward Caleb Gannett contains accounts for members of the Classes of 1795-1804, as well as accounts for President Joseph Willard, Tutors, Fellows, and Faculty. The volume also contains the Steward's accounts with the Harvard Treasurer, as well as his "Cash" accounting. The volume does not have the detailed transaction descriptions found in earlier ledgers; both Credit and Debit entries are described as being paid by, or being owed to, cash, balance, sundry accounts, or the Treasury.

Ledger, 1795-1804

The large leather-bound volume contains a final monthly accounting of Steward Gannett's financial transactions from December 1795 through September 1804. The journal records four types of transactions: "Sundry accounts dr to Treasury," "Cash dr to sundry accounts," "Treasury dr to sundry accounts," and Treasury Dr to Treasury orders." The pages are arranged into columns for account numbers, transaction descriptions, and associated amounts. The entries reflect the movement of funds between the Steward's cash and sundry accounts and the Treasury. Transaction descriptions include student names and amounts based on quarterly bills, specific scholarship and salary allocations, and the names of individuals paid for services, from wood suppliers to medical instructors.

Draft of the Rules, Directions, and Statutes of the Boylston Professorship of Rhetoric and Oratory in Harvard College, [ca. 1804]

This original draft was probably written by Eliphalet Pearson (1752-1826) as a member of the committee charged with the task of establishing the rules, directions, and statutes for the Boylston Professorship by the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers. This draft is heavily edited and contains many cross outs through the text.

I. Sermons, 1709-1724

This series contains seventeen handwritten sermons composed by Nicholas Sever and delivered in the Boston area between 1709 and 1722. Following the completion of his Master's degree at Harvard in 1704, Sever preached in towns around New England including Haverhill in 1709, Dover, New Hampshire (where he was ordained in 1711 and remained until 1715), and in Cambridge as part of his duties as a Harvard Tutor between 1716 and 1728. During these years, Sever also filled in for ministers in nearby parishes. Sever's sermons reflect these engagements, and he occasionally noted the dates and locations where the sermons were delivered in the margin of the first page of the sermon.

[Admittatur of Benjamin Merrill (Harvard AB 1804)], 1800 August 12

Published copy of the 1790 College Laws with the admittatur of undergraduate Benjamin Merrill signed by President Joseph Willard on August 12, 1800. Four pages of amendments of and additions to the Harvard Laws "enacted since the Summer of 1798, and are now in force Dec. 1, 1800" are tipped in at the beginning of the volume.

[Admittatur of John Law (Harvard AB 1804)], 1802 March 1

Published copy of the 1798 College Laws with the admittatur of undergraduate John Law signed by President Joseph Willard on March 1, 1802.