Date of Award
Fall 2019
Document Type
Thesis
Terms of Use
© 2019 Marisa Mancini. All rights reserved. This work is freely available courtesy of the author. It may only be used for non-commercial, educational, and research purposes. For all other uses, including reproduction and distribution, please contact the copyright holder.
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
History Department
First Advisor
Megan Brown
Abstract
In 1774, living in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, Antoine bought his freedom from the Gentil de Paroy, only to be arrested by his former master two years later and accused of using poison. With his mother, Lisette, a free woman of color, advocating for him, the local courts in Le Cap Français found Antoine innocent of the alleged crime and upheld his freedom only for this freedom to be revoked by the French monarchy. Situating Antoine’s case into the history of Saint-Domingue highlights the social and political contradictions surrounding citizenship and sovereignty that were inherent to colonial society in the 1770s and ultimately led to Revolution.
Recommended Citation
Mancini, Marisa , '20, "L’affaire d’Antoine: Colonial Tensions of Freedom and Power" (2019). Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards. 475.
https://works.swarthmore.edu/theses/475