Napoleon reinstates slavery in the French colonies

Background. Slavery had been abolished in all French territories on 4 February 1794 during the Convention. However, the Law of 20 May 1802 explicitly concerned colonies that had not implemented this abolition. The decree was linked to the Treaty of Amiens of 26 March 1802, which returned Martinique, Tobago, and Saint Lucia to France, facilitating the reinstatement of slavery in these regions.

Legislative Context. The Law of 20 May 1802 was a decree passed by First Consul Napoleon of the French First Republic. It reinstated slavery in sugarcane-growing colonies. The law had no effect in Saint-Domingue, where slavery had been abolished by the 1793 Sonthonax and Polverel proclamation, and it did not apply to colonies under rebel control like Guadeloupe at the time of the decree.

Implementation. The reestablishment of slavery in Guadeloupe was formalized by a consular decree on 16 July 1802. In Cayenne, slavery was restored by a consular decree on 7 December 1802, followed by a local decree by Victor Hugues in April 1803. The French did not officially reestablish slavery in Saint-Domingue until 14 May 1803.