Toussaint Louverture
Discover Toussaint Louverture — the formerly enslaved man who led the Haitian Revolution and became one of the most brilliant military and political leaders of his age.
Toussaint Louverture (c. 1743–1803) was the leader of the Haitian Revolution — the only successful slave revolt in world history — and one of the most remarkable figures of the Age of Revolutions. Born into slavery in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, he became one of the most brilliant military and political leaders of his age, defeating the armies of France, Spain, and Britain.
Toussaint gained his freedom before the revolution began and had educated himself, studying military strategy, Enlightenment philosophy, and the writings of the French abolitionists. When the slave uprising erupted in 1791, he quickly emerged as its most capable leader, earning the name L'Ouverture ('the Opening') for his ability to find gaps in enemy lines. His military campaigns demonstrated a strategic genius that European commanders struggled to match.
Toussaint's political vision was as impressive as his military skill. He sought to build a prosperous, multi-racial society in Saint-Domingue, maintaining sugar production while abolishing slavery and attempting to reconcile the colony's racial groups. He promulgated a constitution in 1801 that abolished slavery permanently and made himself governor for life. Napoleon, determined to restore slavery and French control, sent an army in 1802 that captured Toussaint through treachery. He died in a French prison in 1803, but the revolution he led succeeded: Haiti declared independence on January 1, 1804.