wwbeukers SHN Blog

Framing Black Revolution: British Colonial Security Culture and the 1791 Haitian Revolution

In this blog, Yasaman Roustayar explores how British elites responded to the 1791 Haitian Revolution by framing it as a threat to imperial order. Drawing on the concept of security culture, it shows how politicians, writers, and newspapers portrayed Black resistance as violent and illegitimate. These narratives shaped public perception and justified military intervention. By analyzing discourse and policy, Yasaman argues that “threat” was constructed, revealing how racialized fear became a tool of imperial governance and control.