Dr. James E. McClellan III has written an essay, which you can read here, about Saint Domingue from the years 1665 to 1804.
The essay discusses the rise and fall of Saint Domingue, a French colony on the western part of Hispaniola, which was once the wealthiest and most productive European colony, fuelled by intense slave labor primarily in sugar, coffee, cotton, and indigo production. It explores the historical context of colonization, the brutality of slavery, and the economic significance of the colony to France. The essay also highlights the role of specialized knowledge and institutions in colonial development, focusing on René de Rabié, a royal military engineer who contributed extensively to scientific endeavours, particularly in botany and natural history. Despite its economic prosperity, Saint Domingue’s reliance on slavery ultimately led to its demise, culminating in the Haitian Revolution and the creation of the Republic of Haiti.
Hidden Hands in Colonial Natural Histories 