Toussaint LOuverture Analysis

PBS’s program: Egalite For All: Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution provided an extremely education perspective on the savage concept of slavery in Haiti at the hands of the French. However, one man named had the courage to lead a revolution against this brutality. Leading the Haitian Revolution, Louverture helped to make Saint-Domingue the first free colony absent of the ranking of slaves due to the color of one’s skin.

In the earlier years of post-slavery's many uncharted territories, differences in opinions were prevalent. Such was clearly evident when referring to Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois' views of what freedom really enfold. The Atlanta Exposition speech given by Mr. Washington gives us insight into how the writer felt about challenging events of that time and how they should be handled. Although met with considerable amounts of praise, some coming from the head of state himself (then president Grover Cleveland), and Mr. Washington's address was, in one word, flawed to some. W. E. B. Du Bois was a part of that some and had no problem voicing his opinion in Of Mr. booker T. Washington and Others. The inconsistencies in viewpoint between

Toussaint L’Ouverture was born in 1743 in Saint Domingue on a plantation in Cap-Haïtien. He was quite prodigious as a young child: rather than working as a field slave and toiling in the hot sun, he began his slave existence as a herder. Later on, he became a coach driver and waiter for his owner. Ultimately, his owner saw such promise in him that he appointed L’Ouverture as an overseer of fellow slaves who were working in the field. Throughout his tenure, being a more “upscale” slave, he was given access to the plantation library. It was in that library that L’Ouverture’s godfather taught him how to read and write, and the seeds of his future were sown.

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

Phillips starts his speech by making allusions to past military leaders for instance George Washington, and Napoleon. Phillips alludes to the love France has for Napoleon and the love America has for Washington, which also brings about pathos in Americans. Phillips conveys this through lines like “If I stood here tonight to tell the story of Napoleon, I should take it from the lips of Frenchmen, who find no language rich enough to paint the great captain of the nineteenth century. Were I here to tell you the story of Washington, I should take it from your hearts--you, who think no marble white enough on which to carve the name of the Father of his Country.” Directly after, Phillips states “I am about to tell you the story of a Negro who has left hardly one written line.” Phillips does this to illustrate just because Washington and Napoleon were highly favored and remembered does not mean those men were more skilled than Toussaint. Toussaint wasn't remembered as being on the same military level of Washington or Napoleon because Toussaint had testimonies written about him by his the British, French, and Spanish. All those countries despised Toussaint because he defeated them in battle, so by Phillips adding these details he hopes it'll make the Northerners realize African Americans have already been talented in military aspects, but the stories went untold because men like Toussaint were hated and lied about by their enemies.

“Returning Soldiers” marked a homecoming to DuBois’ previous stance against the United States involvement in the War efforts and a continued illumination of grave violations against the African American by both the military and the government at large. In the editorial, it begins by speaking to the black men that were drafted to go and fight on the battlefields of France. But the language then turns towards the fight of the African American man at large as all are soldiers fighting against injustices at home.

By supporting the Revolutionaries actions to break free from British Rule, Douglass alluded to the similar fight that the American population faced to attain the same liberty that white citizens had. With the same courage the Founding Fathers had to create a free country, the American generation of 1852 faced a similar test to uphold the values of the Declaration of Independence, and liberate American slaves.7 After applauding the Founding Fathers, Douglass acknowledges that the emphasis of his speech is not to give praise, but to call on America to act on it’s own failures and begin to faithfully fulfill the nations oath.8 He asks his audience, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us [African Americans]?”9 This rhetorical question Douglass presents, challenges America to reevaluate what they are truly celebrating on the Fourth of July, for it is surely not the freedom in which they claim to have achieved. Douglass asserts that asking black people to rejoice in the “shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery”10 and do not respect the courage, and steps the Founding Fathers took to create a free, liberated nation.11

Alfred M. Green’s speech, declared in Pennsylvania in April 1861, attempts to galvanize fellow African Americans to take action and join the Union army. In order to firmly appeal to those within his audience, Green initially starts his speech off with an appeal to ethos that is founded upon multiple allusions which later segues into a metaphors and an appeal to pathos which prompts an anaphora and a cumulative sentence laced with powerful, emotionally charged diction.

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

The quote taken from James Forten is a perfect example of the effect that the American Revolution had on African American people. The American Revolution was the “Great Awakening” for African Americans, because it was the spark to the coming Civil War. African Americans used the ideology of the American Revolution to their advantage, and used the ideology to pursue freedom. Even though the American Revolution had a lasting effect on African Americans during this time period it was only moderately revolutionary in improving the lives of African Africans; because, African American were still slaves in most areas, had many of their natural right suppressed, and were seen unfit to handle freedom. The American Revolution gave African Americans ideas of natural rights, equality, and hope for freedom.

Phillips performed his speech because fellow abolitionist, Elijah Parish Lovejoy, was killed by a group of anti-abolitionists. The Abolition was a movement dedicated to the removal of slavery from America, as they believed that slavery was an affront to God. Over time, some members moved towards more humanitarian beliefs, thinking that owning any person is wrong at a base level. (Bennett, 2005)

The Abolitionists and the Pro-Slavery population of the United States each took the story of Toussaint Louverture and tried to use it to further their cause. The Pro-Slavery South often told of the story of the horrific Haitian Revolution. It told of vengeful African slaves committing unspeakable acts of violence against innocent and defenseless white men, women, and children. The pro-slavery press documented the horrors of Saint Domingue at great length. “Upwards of one hundred thousand savage people, habituated to the barbarities of Africa, avail themselves of the silence and obscurity of the night, and fall on the peaceful and unsuspicious planter, like so many famished tigers thirsting for human blood.”1 Bryan Edwards, a chief antagonist of slavery to British Parliament, wrote multiple narratives that provided the text for images of the revolution that would haunt generations of American slaveowners.

Who was Toussaint Louverture? Looking at Haitian history, it is clear that he was a great leader in several different aspects of the things he did to reach his largest goal, which was abolishing slavery in his land of Saint Domingue. Throughout joining revolts, leading militaries, and reacting to people challenging his opinion, Toussaint had to go through a lot to meet the end result of what he believed in. As well as facing his enemies, he had to switch the sides of his own self to keep on fighting toward his end goal. Toussaint Louverture should be remembered for his actions among those who resided in Saint Domingue for making him a liberator of slaves, a ruler of the land, and a smart military commander.

Not many people know about the Haitian Revolution. The first successful slave revolution that was led by Toussaint L’ouverture. In what way Toussaint L’ouverture significant? Toussaint L’ouverture should be remembered as a military commander, ruler of Saint Domingue, and the liberator of slaves. L’ouverture should be remembered as a liberator of slaves.

According to Blackpast.org, the Haitian Revolution was the largest and most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere, which not only ended slavery, but also French control over the colony in a 12 year span. Toussaint L’Ouverture, a Haitian leader, uses different tactics in order to addresses his men in a speech given before entering battle. L 'Ouverture uses syntax, tone shifts, and imagery in order to convey to his troops the reason why they are fighting and to motivate them.