People in history are always remembered in some way. Sometimes what they’re remembered for is bad, sometimes it’s good deeds people are remembered for. On January 1, 1804 the French colony Saint Domingue, present day Haiti, on the island of Hispaniola declared independence from France. The 500,000 slaves, who worked on sugar and coffee plantations ,were led by Toussaint Louverture and his 4,000 troops in freeing themselves from slavery. Toussaint was an ex slave who was granted freedom by his owner and was always a believer in getting rid of slavery. Toussaint and the rebellious slaves heard word of the revolution that was occurring in their homeland France and that is how the battle for independence on Saint Domingue began. After accomplishing the abolishment of slavery, Toussaint was appointed the commander-in-chief of the army in Saint Domingue and pledged allegiance to France and the government that he was just fighting against. Then, when Napoleon came in power in France word spread that he would reinstate slavery and Toussaint prepared to fight to the death for his islands freedom. In 1802 Napoleon launched an army of 21,000 troops to Saint Domingue and in the battle Toussaint was captured and taken to France. While in jail Toussaint was dying from pneumonia and was never able to see his nation gain its independence. But how should we remember Toussaint Louverture? Was he a good person or an evil person? What traits about Toussaint are worth knowing? Toussaint should be remembered as a liberator of slaves, a military commander, and a ruler of Saint Domingue. Toussaint was a good military commander and ruler of Saint Domingue, but the most important thing to remember about him was how great of a liberator of slaves he was because no matter what to the situation that he was faced, it seemed that the abolishment of slaves was his first priority.
First and most importantly, Toussaint was a liberator of slaves. One of, if not the most influential reason why Toussaint joined the rebellion against slavery in Saint Domingue is because he was such a strong believer in everyone having freedom. No matter what side he fought for during his time as a leader in Saint Domingue, it was always the side that wanted to abolish freedom; that’s the reason he pledged allegiance to France. The new government that was put in place after the revolution is the government that abolished slavery and Toussaint, knowing what the new government did for the people of Saint Domingue, decided to pledge allegiance to his homeland. In 1797 the government that abolished slavery was replaced by the French Directory and ruled France between 1795 and 1799. Fearing that the French Directory was going to reinstate slavery, Toussaint wrote a letter to the Directory. In it he states, “Could men who have once enjoyed the benefits of liberty look calmly while it is taken from them!” he also says, “We have known how to confront danger to our liberty, and we will know ow to confront death to preserve it”. Toussaint is saying that he and all the freed slaves on Saint Domingue will not stand by and watch their freedom be taken away from them, and that they are willing to die to make sure their freedom is kept. In a timeline made about the abolition in Saint Domingue it shows how he always supported the side that was against slavery because in 1794 when the French government under Robespierre abolished slavery Toussaint and his troops supported France and stopped fighting. But in 1802 when Napoleon sent troops with the purpose to reinstate slavery, Toussaint gathered an army to fight against the French troops. Also in 1796 the British were afraid that the ideas of freeing slaves would spread to their colony in the island of Jamaica so Toussaint gathered an army to fight the British and in 1798 he defeated them. Another document that shows how he was a liberator of slaves was the Saint Domingue Constitution, that Toussaint himself signed in July, 1801. In it it states that slaves no longer exist and that all men are born, live, and die equally. It also says that each plantation and all of its workers will act as a family underneath a father (plantation owner) and that everyone on the plantation will share the earnings made by that plantations equally. This shows that the white plantation owners will no longer have more money or power than the no longer slaves who work on the plantations. Slavery was happening all over the world during the early 1800’s and Toussaint was one of them many people who were fighting against it.
Second, Toussaint was a strong military commander. Multiple times Toussaint and his army was tested by their adversaries and Toussaint almost always had a way of beating his opponents. In the book Toussaint Louverture: A Biography written by Madison Smartt Bell in 2007 there is a portion that shows just how well of a commander he was. In the fall of 1801 ex slaves on Saint Domingue were starting to become frustrated by Toussaint and believed that they were not being treated by like actual free men. So on October 29, 1801 Toussaint’s, adopted nephew, Hyacinthe Moyse, leading an army that was given to him by Toussaint, attacked plantations and murdered white men. Toussaint was so upset by this that he ordered men who were led by Moyse to shoot themselves so that they blew their own brains out and he had Moyse arrested and put to death by a firing squad where Moyse himself gave the order to fire. This showed that Toussaint was willing to kill his own nephew to make sure than nothing got to out of hand and that his role as a military commander would not be questioned by anyone. Also from The Black Man, His Antecedents, His Genius, and his Achievements in the section “A Description of Toussaint Louverture” by William Wells Brown in 1863 it describes the preparation of the fight against Napoleon’s troops. He first was able to persuade his troops to fight for him with his “superior knowledge of character of race, his humanity, generosity, and courage”. Then after he was able convince his men to fight they set the port city ablaze and retreated into the Alps and waited for the French. When the French arrived all they say was a great port city in ruins. Also in the timeline it states several facts about Toussaint. One was that he trained his troops in both guerrilla and in European style battle tactics. Also before being captured by the French, Toussaint was able to conquer the Spanish side of Hispaniola. These events show how strong of a leader Toussaint was.
Finally, Toussaint should be remembered as the ruler of Saint Domingue. After the rebellions in Saint Domingue and slavery was abolished the people of Saint Domingue were looking for someone to step up and Toussaint, who was already known for his works as a military commander, was the man who became ruler. In the Constitution that Toussaint signed laws that should be followed by all people in Saint Domingue. Some of the laws are “all men are born, live, and die free and French”, the colony depends on its agriculture so there cannot be a disturbance, and Toussaint Louverture is the Chief-General of Saint Domingue for as long as he lives. The last law shows just how much the people of Saint Domingue trusted Toussaint. Four months later Toussaint himself makes a proclamation to the people of Saint Domingue. In the proclamation, Toussaint says that children should be employed as soon as they can walk, anyone who speaks or acts against the authority of the nation will have to appear for a military court, workers who run away from their designated plantations will be sent to the local police, if a plantation father(owner) has a vagabond worker on his plantation and does not report it within 24 hours, they will be sent to prison for a week, and all citizens must have a security card. These laws and consequences show how strict Toussaint was to maintain power on Saint Domingue. What would have Saint Domingue been like if it wasn’t for Toussaint taking charge after slavery was abolished.
All in all, Toussaint Louverture should be remembered as a liberator of slaves, military commander, and the ruler of Saint Domingue. Being a liberator of slaves has to be the most important thing to remember about him. If it wasn’t for his burning passion to stop slavery, he never would have had to become the military leader for Saint Domingue’s army or the ruler of Saint Domingue because he never would have emerged as a powerful leader during the rebellions . Also during that time slavery was such a common way of making money so him being an advocate to stop it overshadows all other qualities about him. Toussaint may not have always been liked or admired, but he did try to do the best for his land and that is what every person should do.
