The Haitian Declaration of Independence was issued in 1804, bringing to an end the revolution against colonial France that began...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
The Haitian Declaration of Independence was issued in 1804, bringing to an end the revolution against colonial France that began in 1791. Written in French, which was not the first language of most Haitians but which was used throughout Europe as the language of international diplomacy, the declaration notes that Haiti will not bring rebellion to other Caribbean nations, promises to respect the sovereignty of its neighbors—widely understood as a reassurance to the United States—and sets up Haiti as an example for future struggles against colonizers (an implicit reference to the many colonies then found in the Americas). So even though the declaration is explicitly addressed to the Haitian people, it's reasonable to conclude that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
aspects of the declaration were modeled on similar documents from other countries.
the French government may have been surprised by the declaration.
many Haitian people opposed the revolution and the declaration.
the declaration actually had several intended audiences.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The Haitian Declaration of Independence was issued in 1804, bringing to an end the revolution against colonial France that began in 1791." |
|
| "Written in French, which was not the first language of most Haitians but which was used throughout Europe as the language of international diplomacy," |
|
| "the declaration notes that Haiti will not bring rebellion to other Caribbean nations," |
|
| "promises to respect the sovereignty of its neighbors—widely understood as a reassurance to the United States—" |
|
| "and sets up Haiti as an example for future struggles against colonizers (an implicit reference to the many colonies then found in the Americas)." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture and Core Elements
Main Point: The Haitian Declaration of Independence, while officially addressed to the Haitian people, was clearly crafted with multiple international audiences in mind.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the historical context of Haiti's 1804 declaration, then explains how various elements of the document—its language choice, its reassurances to neighbors, and its positioning as an example—all point toward international rather than purely domestic concerns.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage gives us a clear setup: the declaration is officially addressed to Haitians, BUT it has all these elements that seem designed for international consumption
- The logical conclusion from this contrast should be that the declaration wasn't really just for Haitians—it had multiple audiences in mind
aspects of the declaration were modeled on similar documents from other countries.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests the declaration copied elements from other countries documents
- The passage doesn't discuss what the declaration was modeled on
the French government may have been surprised by the declaration.
✗ Incorrect
- This focuses on the French government's potential reaction
- The passage doesn't discuss French reactions or surprise at all
many Haitian people opposed the revolution and the declaration.
✗ Incorrect
- This suggests internal Haitian opposition to the revolution and declaration
- The passage provides no information about Haitian people's opinions
the declaration actually had several intended audiences.
✓ Correct
- This directly addresses the contrast set up by the prompt
- Matches our analysis: French language choice, reassurances to the US, and example-setting for other colonies all suggest multiple intended audiences