First, Haiti was the second free and independent nation-state in the Americas. It also had one of the most successful slave revolts ever. Haiti became the first modern nation to be governed by people of African descent, and they also foiled Napoleon's attempts to build a big New World empire. Of course, Haiti's history since its revolution has been marred by tragedy, a legacy of the loss of life that accompanied the revolution. I mean, 150,000 people died in 1802 and 1803 alone. But the Haitian revolutions matter. They matter because the Haitians, more than any other people in the Age of Revolutions, stood up for the idea that none should be slaves, that the people who most need the protection of a government should be afforded that protection.