When was toussaint born

But that was only the start. He conquered the Spanish side of Hispaniola, uniting the island and establishing himself as governor. And with an education steeped in Enlightenment philosophy , he built on those humanistic ideals to create a constitution that would forever abolish slavery.

In , France was in a dicey situation. It had recently become a republic, stoking the ire of European monarchies. So that same year, French commissioners arrived in Saint-Domingue in the apparent spirit of compromise. Rebel leaders, including Toussaint, refused the overture, choosing to do battle instead with the 6,man fleet France had also sent.

Feigning outrage at the execution of King Louis XVI in , he made an alliance with neighboring Santo Domingo, taking command of a Spanish auxiliary force to reclaim a swath of Saint-Domingue territory. He refused to negotiate with French commissioners until , when France formally abolished slavery in its territories.

Toussaint then rejoined the French forces, beat back the Spanish and began his sustained campaign against the British, who had their own designs on Saint-Domingue.

His army ousted British forces in , causing them to lose more than 15, men and 10 million pounds in the process. Toussaint entered into a secret agreement with the British army that eased their naval blockade of imported goods. He went a step further in , opening diplomatic talks with the Americans to renew commercial ties that would benefit both economies—a major coup for Toussaint.

The Haitian Revolution and the actions of Toussaint Louverture led to the establishment of the first sovereign state in Latin America, challenging the European colonial order. View objects relating to Toussaint Louverture. Privacy Terms of Use. Skip to main content. Toussaint Louverture Haitian revolutionary leader. Privacy Terms of Use Back to Top. He was now fighting his former black colleagues, who were still loyal to Spain.

Toussiant contained the remaining British troops, rendering them ineffective and soon they too withdrew from the island.

By , Toussaint was the leading political and military figure in the colonies. Having temporarily secured peace with the European powers, Toussaint turned to the domestic unrest still festering on the island. Prior to , the mulatto population, who were not enslaved, had owned slaves themselves. Many wanted them back. In , Toussaint was able to defeat the mulatto army with the help of Dessalines. Toussaint was now the de facto ruler of the entire island of Hispaniola.

He introduced a constitution, which reiterated the abolition of slavery and declared himself Governor-General for Life, with nearly absolute powers. Hoping to bring some stability back to Hispaniola, he set out to reestablish agriculture and improve the economic conditions.

Toussaint established trade agreements with the British and the Americans, who supplied his forces with arms and goods in exchange for sugar and the promise not to invade Jamaica or the American South. Defying French Revolutionary laws, he allowed plantation owners, who had fled during the rebellion, to return. In , Napoleon Bonaparte gained control of France, amidst the chaos of the French Revolutionary government.

He issued a new constitution that declared all French colonies would be ruled under special laws. Toussaint and others suspected this would mean the return of slavery. He was careful not to declare full independence and professed himself a Frenchman to convince Napoleon of his loyalty. Napoleon also forbade Toussaint from invading Santo Domingo, the eastern half of the island, where he had French authorities, trying to restore order after the Spanish departure. The temptation to have complete control over the entire island was too tempting for Toussaint.

In January , his armies invaded Santo Domingo and took control with little effort. He instituted French law, abolished slavery, and set out to modernize the country.

These men were hand-picked for their experience in the campaigns in Europe and would be a formidable force against Toussaint. This paved the way for western expansion throughout the 19th century. Though Toussaint was able to put up strong resistance for several months, eventually his coalition fell apart.

Most Europeans and mulattos living on the island sided with the French.