A revolução haitiana e o espectro do haitianíssimo: imagens e representações nos jornais brasileiros do século XIX

Abstract

This study examines the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804) and its influence on nineteenth-century Brazil, focusing on Haitianism and the political use of Haiti as a symbol of disorder and racial insubordination by Brazilian elites. It outlines the formation of Saint-Domingue, shaped by an agro-export economy, dependence on enslaved labor, and tensions that led to the most successful slave-led revolution in modern history. The study also analyzes how the Brazilian press, particularly the Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro, invoked the Haitian example to interpret internal revolts, justify repression, and reinforce the slave-based social order. By situating Haitianism within the Atlantic and imperial Brazilian contexts, the research shows that fear of the “Haitian specter” played a central role in shaping political culture, surveillance strategies, and responses to social tensions in Brazil.