Jean Barré de Saint-Venant et la colonisation nouvelle: Lumières, économie politique et modernisation à Saint-Domingue (1776-1802)

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore the intellectual and political trajectory of the Dominguan planter, scientist, and agronomist Jean Barré de Saint-Venant (1737-1810). As a member of the Circle of the Philadelphes and of the Chamber of Agriculture of Le Cap Français, between the end of the Old Regime and the Napoleonic period, Barré de Saint-Venant outlined through his memoires and printed works a creole path to agricultural, economic, and institutional progress in the plantation society of Saint-Domingue. By blending philosophy, racial theory, colonial history, scientific experiments, and empirical knowledge, his reflection and action within the central and peripheral imperial administration demonstrate the active participation of Barré de Saint-Venant and other Dominguan colonists in the pursuit of a so-called «colonisation nouvelle», based on expertise in the service of the legislator, on technological and governmental modernisation, on the promotion of an enlightened public sphere, and on the exploitation of the enslaved African. On the other hand, Barré de Saint-Venant’s ideas and reform projects invite us to reflect further on the notion of «Caribbean Enlightenment».