Professor Burleigh Hendrickson of Pennsylvania State University came to campus to speak about his ongoing research. Hendrickson primarily applies transnational and comparative approaches to the history of the Francophone world, with an emphasis on the Maghreb and West Africa during the 1960s. However, he has recently expanded his research to include Haiti’s revolutionary period.
Dickinson’s French and Francophone Studies department welcomed Hendrickson to present on his continuing research and presented insights surrounding impact of France’s colonial past on Haiti today.
Hendrickson’s presentation covered many topics from Haiti’s prerevolutionary history to the recurring topic of dignity and the impact of reverse reparations on Haiti today. The opening question Hendrickson began his presentation with an opening question for the audience: “How does the loss of an empire change a country?”
His research found that, in France’s case, the loss of colonies such as Haiti caused a rise in “white indignation” in the country, which led to a demand for 150 million francs in reparations to be paid by the newly freed nation. Bitter by the loss of Haiti, France refused to recognize the country’s independence, referring to the country by its old name, Colonial Saint-Domingue.
In 1825, French captain Ange René Armand, Baron de Mackau set up a naval blockade around Haiti’s perimeter, putting the country in a tough spot: unless the country agreed to pay the 150 million francs to France, Haiti’s newly acquired freedom would be lost to the cannons of the blockade. With plans to begin infrastructure, build school and develop as a country, Haiti was forced to put their plans on hold to pay the incredible reparation sum. These plans remained on hold until 1947 due to the immense debt caused by the reparations. Hendrickson emphasized the negative impact Haiti’s reparations payment had on the young country’s economy, and how those effects can still be seen on the nation today.
During the question-and-answer portion on the presentation, the topic of Haiti’s current political and economic climate was discussed, as well as its connections to its past treatment by foreign powers. Mariana Past, professor of Spanish at Dickinson and an attendee of the event commented saying, “The world failed Haiti, Haiti did not fail the world.”
When asked what lead him to explore this new research topic, Hendrickson said he was first inspired to research white indignation after the horrific events of the Charlottesville riot in 2017.
“What is going on in our country currently with the rise of white nationalism, especially the increasing visibility of white indignation in the U.S. inspired me to research this topic because I wanted to look into the impact of white indignation in other eras of history,” he said.
Additionally, the recurring right of dignity was another source of inspiration. Using the words of Enlightenment thinker Immanuel Kant, who said that all people are born with dignity, and the experiences of students he engaged with in the past, Hendrickson noted that he was interested in exploring what “the last straw” was that triggered people to act. For France, the loss of Haiti correlated to a loss in French dignity, leading to larger issues.
The event was attended by a mix of faculty and students from a wide range of departments and majors. One such student, political science major Annie Elliott ’25 said that her class and interests brought her to the talk, especially the subject’s connection to political science.
Hendrickson concluded his presentation reviewing the consequences that losing an empire can have on a nation, including racialized fears, indignation of lost status, strategic maneuvering to retain/regain lost territory, and the rethinking of national identity.
