Toussaint Louverture: Liberator of Slaves

Great historical figures are remembered for their many accomplishments and contributions to their society. A great American leader was Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, and the man who abolished slavery in America. Of course, he did more for his country than just abolishing slavery, but when we hear the name Abraham Lincoln the this feat comes to mind first. This is how Haitian revolution leader Toussaint Louverture should be remembered as well. Louverture was a freed slave in Saint Domingue in 1792 when began to lead other enslaved peoples to fight for their freedom. He and his followers won the battle against the French, and slavery was abolished in all French colonies. Louverture became the ruler of Saint Domingue, and their military commander. But, when reinstating slavery was threatened by the French, Louverture stood up to fight again. Throughout his adult life he was a prominent leader in Haiti, and should be remembered just as great American leaders such as Abraham Lincoln are remembered. Toussaint Louverture should be remembered first as a liberator of slaves, but also as a ruler of Saint Domingue and a military commander.

The quality Louverture should be most remembered for is liberator of slaves. For over 10 years, Louverture was head of the slave rebellion in Haiti. Although he accomplished more during this time, his overall goal was always the same, to abolish slavery.  The Timeline of Abolition in Saint Domingue states that in 1794, after two years of fighting against the French, “Toussaint and his troops stop their revolt and now support the French.” But in 1802, when Napoleon sends more soldiers to Saint Domingue to reinstate slavery, Louverture and his troops change sides once again to fight against the French. The reason for this was that in 1794 Napoleon abolished slavery, thus giving Louverture what he wanted and reason to side with them for a short time. But as soon as the freedom of his people was threatened, he fought back for the permanent abolition of slavery. (Doc A) To further prove his determination to reach this goal, Louverture wrote a letter to the French Directory in 1797 in response to rumors that they were about the reinstate slavery. He writes, “Could men who have once enjoyed the benefits of liberty look calmly while it is taken from them!...We have known how to confront danger to our liberty, and we will know how to confront death to preserve it.” Louverture believes that because the people have been able to experience a life of freedom they would rather die than go back to slavery. He believed so much in this that he even threatened the French government with war. (Doc B) It is exemplified in these documents how serious Louverture was about the liberation of slaves. He used his skills as a leader and military commander to work to free the slaves. Still with the goal of liberation in mind, he threatened war because he was confident in his skills as a military commander, and certain that he could lead his troops to permanent freedom.

Although Toussaint Louverture's most important role was as liberator of slaves, he was also a strong ruler of Saint Domingue.  After the people of Saint Domingue received their freedom in 1801, they owed their success to Louverture. The people believed in his abilities as a ruler and they appointed them into their new government. The Saint Domingue Constitution of 1801, signed by Louverture himself, declared that there would be no slavery at all in the colony, and that every worker on every plantation is entitled to a share in the revenues. These decisions made Louverture popular with the people for a time, so much so that the constitution appointed him “Chief General of the army of Saint Domingue...for the remainder of his glorious life.” (Doc C) They trusted in his abilities so much that they wanted him to be their ruler for as long as possible. Although eventually, the people did start to fill with discontent for some of the actions Louverture began taking. He established laws to control the population of people who were supposed to work and the people that didn’t work at all. He instituted consequences for people who ran from their plantation, and people who incited actions against the authority of the newly formed nation. (Doc D) As a ruler of Saint Domingue, Louverture successfully kept slavery at bay, and tried to create a peaceful country for his people. But, as time went on people became discontent with the way he ruled, and his skills as a military commander came into play.

Louverture’s contributions to his country as a military commander should not be overlooked. His courage, and even his ruthlessness, were what made him a successful commander. As Louverture began to be resented for his cruel labor policies and his suspicious friendliness with the white planters, a rebellion was brewing in the rest of the society that tested his skills as a military leader. As workers were allowed to control their own small plantations by Louverture’s nephew Moyse, a hatred for the white planters was stirred up. Soon, a rebellion broke out in the North with the war cry, “General Moyse is with us-death to all the whites.” To put down the revolt, Louverture chose to make a show of those that defied him by forcing rebels to step out of their ranks and kill themselves. This was Louverture’s way of reasonably putting down the rebellion and showing his control as a leader. (Doc E) In 1802, As Louverture began gaining respect from the people of Saint Domingue, the French once again attacked. But Louverture, using his skills as a military commander, found a way to get the upper hand. “The French...landed, but they found nothing but smouldering ruins, where once stood splendid cities. Toussaint and his generals at once abandoned the towns, and betook themselves to the mountains…” (Doc F) Louverture decided to burn their cities so the French would have no place to take over on the island, and fighting in the mountains was what his troops were used to and would catch the Europeans off guard. These decisions exemplify Louverture’s ability to be a strong military commander. They prove that he was able to make decisions that were the best for his colony.

Although Toussaint Louverture was a respected leader of Saint Domingue and an honorable military commander, he should be most remembered for his accomplishments as a liberator of slaves. Louverture was able to free his people from slavery, and keep them free for years under his rule. He became the ruler of Saint Domingue only because he was so successful in the abolition of slavery, and his military skills only contributed to his status as a leader. He was successful in all these areas, but his success only came from his most important achievement. Therefor, Toussaint Louverture should go down in history as the liberator of slaves in the Haitian Revolution.


Picture: Toussaint Louverture (DBQ Packet)