Published in 1938, The Black Jacobins tells the story of the only successful slave revolution in history—an uprising inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution. The long struggle of African slaves in the French colony of San Domingo led to the establishment of the Republic of Haiti in 1804. James explores the relationship between the two upheavals in an early example of 'history from below,' telling the story from the point of view of ordinary Haitians rather than (as was typical at the time) of high-ranking members of the colonial class. This classic work offers a ground-breaking and influential portrayal of a unique historical event.