Indian indentureship vs. African Slavery

In the 19th century, Enlightenment ideas were spreading all over Europe and Latin American which influents the white elites in Haiti to want a capitalist market and control of it own resources. Latin America’s elite class became anti-imperialist and favored exportation based on capitalism. Also, the white elites in Haiti saw that France was fully engaged in the Napoleonic Wars and seized the

However, in spite of his positive effect upon Haiti, the fact that he appointed himself governor general calls into question some of his motives. When he saw that there was no strong French government on the island, Toussaint

By 1792, the French had sent troops in to try and restore order. These battles differed from the battles in the United States because they centered on ideas of racial equality. Poorly treated slaves and angry mixed race citizens fought not only for their right to have an independent nation, but for a literal freedom and equality for themselves. When Toussaint L’Overture, a former slave, took over the Haitian armies in 1793, he was fighting both the British and the French, two armies fighting to possess an island rich in resources, including the slaves who were fighting against them. He was a powerful leader and an intelligent military strategist, and his capacity to control the rebelling slaves greatly improved their organization. Battles with the French dragged on until 1803, when Napoleon no longer had the resources to sustain the warfare and withdrew his troops. By 1804, Haiti was an independent republic governed by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who in a final expression of racial tension had the remaining white citizens massacred. Both the United States and Haiti helped secure their independence through successful military campaigns, but Haiti’s independence had race as a focal point in a way colonists of the United States did not

Toussaint L’ouverture was not only a good liberator but he was also a great ruler of Saint Domingue. Saint Domingue was not a good country without Toussaint. Toussaint was a great leader for Saint Domingue and changed their lives forever. He wrote a document that restricted the slaves. (Doc. C) He created this document so that the slaves are free but, they still have to follow the rules like all the others. Toussaint also created a proclamation stating that “Any individual… tending to incite sedition shall be brought before a court martial and be punished in conformity with the law.” (Doc. D) Toussaint states here that if any slave that breaks the law will go to the military court and be punished with the law. He uses this law to help all the

He wanted to keep his island prosperous, which is why he didn’t want any vagabonds hanging around. (Doc D) With his role extending past being just a ruler, Toussaint didn’t only help slaves gain liberty and independence, but he also helped lead them in this new territory under his own constitution as a ruler of Saint

b. François Toussaint L’Ouverture became the leader of the former slaves. Toussaint remained in charge in the following many years of frequent battles, but in 1802 he was captured by French forces and later died in a French prison.

Toussaint Louverture should be remembered as a powerful military leader, who followed through in what he believed in. Toussaint Louverture followed through is what he believed in, and as he was born a slave in the 1940s, he believed in freedom for all people. In 1791, when a slave revolt began in Saint Domingue, Toussaint jumped on board, and encouraged other slaves to join (Document A). By 1973, he commanded a rebel army of 4,000 troops, and he fought against French forces. In the end, Toussaint succeeded and the French abolished slavery both in France, and in all of its colonies.

Toussaint was born into slavery on May 20th, 1743. On the events of August 22, 1791 the “Night of FIre” inspired Toussaint to join in the revolt. Toussaint joined the slave insurgency and proved himself as a capable soldier. And as a military secretary. Eventually he became a leader figure, and was accepted by many Haitians as such. France denied his and the people’s of Haiti’s declaration of Toussaint being the leader of the Colony. Toussaint was eventually captured by the French and died in fort Joux while the war in Haiti continued. The question is, was Toussaint truly a great leader?

Toussaints military command was a remarkable characteristic. “As a military commander, Toussaint gains a reputation for running an orderly camp and for training his men in both guerilla tactics and the European shoulder-to-shoulder style of war” (Doc. A). This shows where his priorities are placed. His teaching of both to make his men knowledgeable about the enemy’s tactics, but keeping it orderly to keep respect from his men. Toussaint’s reputation had gained the respect of everyone under him, and his victories against the English and Spanish help the reputation of the military (Doc. F). His command for respect and his military actions against English and Spanish forces protected the little country to stay independent and on the map.

For Glissant, the rootless cell Toussaint should be seen as an island in the archipelago of the New World that connects the Atlantic and Caribbean early in the hemisphere, certainly a prophetic vision of his revolutionary past. This 'island', a common Caribbean place par excellence, after two hundred years of solitude, should not be quarantined, or serve as a stage to be cynically exploited by political opportunists, but be freed from the prison of the imperial

Toussaint L’Ouverture was born into slavery in 1743. He was the oldest child of an African Prince that was captured and forced into slavery. L’Ouverture was taught to read and write by his godfather as a child, which greatly impressed the manager of the plantation where he lived. The manager allowed L’Ouverture to use his personal library which helped him learn 3 languages and become well versed in the medicinal use of plants and herbs. Despite having worked as a slave, he also became a skilled horseman. As L’Ouverture grew older he gained his freedom from slavery, continuing to have a close relationship with his former owner regardless of any negative stigma he may face.

Though the colony was returned to Spain in 1809, weak support led to a decay in colonial infrastructure, leading to a revolt, led by José Núñez de Cáceres and Don Manuel Carvajal, which declared “Spanish Haiti” independent. However, the new nation was vulnerable, and Boyer immediately seized on the opportunity to unite the island for security purposes, seeking to impose “Haitianization” on Santo Domingo economically and politically. Such aspects of “Haitianization” included abolition of slavery, land redistribution, settlement of Haitians, and forced cultivation of crops in a region dominated by cattle ranchers. (Moya Pons 123, 133) An insurrection group named los trinitarios seized on the discontent of the Dominican people in the 1830s and 1840s, leading to independence in 1844. (Black 19)

This book also focuses on Toussaint L’Ouverture legacy. He was known as the revolutionary and organizational leader of the Haitian revolution. James evaluated Overture’s life, the impact of his leadership and how it affected today’s society. Several scholars accredited his works and defined him as a person whose effort united revolutionary forces, as well as leading many of the most important battles. His influence in San Domingo was the main driving force of this book.

The Haitian Revolution was led mainly by Toussaint L’ouverture, a former enslaved coach driver. By the time of the revolution, he was a wealthy free man. In his personal memoir, he states “I have been a slave; I am willing to own to it… I have made it my duty and pleasure to develop the resources of this beautiful colony.” He sided with the slaves because he had experienced slavery himself. The initial resistance was formed by a team of unorganized slaves, who had just arrived from Africa and were not there for long. They

Matthew J. Clavin uses the divisions in his book to his advantage, which allows the reader to clearly understand and follow the points that are being made. There are three notable sections of the book: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Within the introduction, Clavin begins by discussing Wendell Phillips’ speech that was delivered in 1862 to about two thousand spectators entitled “Toussaint Louverture.” Within this speech, he told of the Haitian revolution and then connected it to its relevance within the United States specifically at the time during the Civil War. For his primarily American audience, this introduction is an effective one that drives the reader’s desire to continue on with additional chapters. There is an understanding that the reader knows some information regarding the Haitian Revolution which allows Clavin to delve into specifics about certain occurrences rather than covering the general history. For instance, Matthew Clavin intentionally includes specific lines that were included in Phillips’ speech like this tremendously powerful quote that was delivered by Toussaint Louverture to his French captors, “’you think you have rooted up the tree of liberty, but I am only a branch; I have planted the tree of liberty so deep that all France can never root it up’” (2). Toward the end of the delivery, Philips asserts his opinion on Louverture’s power compared to other heros: “’I would call him Napoleon, but Napoleon made his way to empire