Scholarship, Textbooks, and the Meaning of Democracy: Reclaiming the Narrative of the Haitian Revolution at the Secondary Leve

In the United States, the narrative of the Haitian Revolution and its impact on democracy, freedom, liberty, equality, and brotherhood have been relatively silenced. Recent scholarship and current high-school textbooks that are used in California portray the narrative of the Haitian Revolution very differently. In order to explore the differences between these narratives, this project examined the three major world history textbooks in circulation in the United States today, as well as the California State Standards and the Common Core federal regulations concerning educational goals for modern high-school students. By juxtaposing this analysis with a discussion of recent scholarship concerning race, gender, Atlantic history, and the Haitian Revolution, this paper reveals the gaps and silences within the high-school narratives concerning this historical moment. By shifting current narratives in high-school history classrooms in California, students would learn about not only the fragile nature of democracy and the fluid applications of rights that it entails, but they would also learn about the negotiated meanings of citizenship, freedom, autonomy, and identity which shape this narrative in the United States and elsewhere. Moreover, shifting current narratives would also help students to accomplish educational goals revolving around understanding democracy and global citizenship. In order to accomplish this feat, pedagogical interests need to align with modern scholarship. Standards and textbooks need to be reframed to center the narrative of the Haitian Revolution.