Structure

While the structure of The Black Jacobins roughly follows events chronologically from 1789 to 1805, the narrative frequently shifts between France and Haiti. This narrative structure allows the reader to see the events of both the French and Haitian Revolutions in context of one another. At the end of the first chapter, titled “The Property,” James foreshadows the trajectory of the book: “Men make their own history, and the Black Jacobins of San Domingo were to make history which would alter the fate of millions of men and shift the economic currents of three continents. But if they could seize opportunities they could not create it… Three forces, the proprietors of San Domingo, the French bourgeoisie and the British bourgeoisie” (25-26) would first have to destabilize the island. This quote demonstrates the general structure and narrative of the book. In order to tell the story of how the so-called...