Haiti in the British Imagination: Imperial Worlds, 1847-1915

In 1804, Haiti declared its independence from France to become the world’s first ‘black’ nation state. Throughout the nineteenth century, Haiti maintained its independence, consolidating and expanding its national and, at times, imperial projects. In doing so, Haiti joined a host of other nation states and empires that were emerging and expanding across the Atlantic World. The largest and, in many ways, most powerful of these empires was that of Britain. Haiti in the British Imagination is the first book to focus on the diplomatic relations and cultural interactions between Haiti and Britain in the second half of the nineteenth century. As well as a story of British imperial aggression and Haitian ‘resistance’, it is also one of a more complicated set of relations: of rivalry, cultural exchange and intellectual dialogue. At particular moments in the Victorian period, ideas about Haiti had wide-reaching relevancies for British anxieties over the quality of British imperial administration, over what should be the relations between ‘the British’ and people of African descent, and defining the limits of black sovereignty. Haitians were key in formulating, disseminating and correcting ideas about Haiti. Through acts of dialogue, Britons and Haitians impacted on the worldviews of one another, and with that changed the political and cultural landscapes of the Atlantic World.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter One: Representations of The Haitian Empire in the British Press, 1847–59 Chapter Two: Policing the Caribbean: The Bulldog Affair and the Morant Bay War Chapter Three: Hayti, or, the Black Republic Chapter Four: Vive Dessalines! Revolution, Class and the Centenary of Independence Conclusion Bibliography

About the Author :
Jack Daniel Webb is a Research Associate in Postcolonial Print Cultures in the School of English at Newcastle University.

Review :
‘Haiti in the British Imagination: Imperial Worlds, 1847–1915 is a significant contribution to this vibrant field… focusing on the influence of Haitians on the writings of Britons in this period, a fascinating and nuanced picture emerges of competing social and political agendas played out via several cultural mediums… this book is not just an important read for scholars of Haitian and British history; it also contributes significantly to studies of the way dialogues between imperial and (post)colonial powers were formed and manipulated to suit competing agendas.’ James Forde, New West Indian Guide 'Haiti in the British Imagination: Imperial Worlds, 1847–1915 is a noteworthy and welcome contribution to recent scholarly efforts to redress this silencing and to accord Haiti its rightful place in anglophone cultural history.' Tim Watson, Victorian Studies