Toussaint L'Ouverture

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Toussaint L'Ouverture, despite a lack of formal education and training, drove French Emperor Napoleon out of Haiti and led his country to independence. The author points out that L'Ouverture's grandfather was reported to have been an African king of the Arradas tribe who occupied a western part of the continent; in a plundering expedition undertaken by a neighboring tribe, a son of this king named Gaou-Guinou, who was to become L'Ouverture's father, was made captive and sold to slave dealers in Haiti. The paper relates that L'Ouverture lived in slavery for 50 years before making his mark on the country; however, during that time, witnessing too much of the bondage of his people, he developed leadership traits that made him stand out from others.

From the Paper:

"Such smaller attacks led into the Haitian Revolution. They also set precedence for the martial tradition of blacks. Yet, despite their desire for freedom, the maroons could not develop a larger insurrection against the white colonists. This changed with the rise of Toussaint L'Ouverture. As Beard notes, "In the midst of these conflicting passions and threatening disorders, there was a character quietly forming, which was to do more than all others, first to gain the mastery of them, and then to conduct them to issues of a favorable nature." "

More papers on Toussaint L'Ouverture:

• Analytical Essay # 28362 : "The Black Jacobins"
• Book Review # 98652 : "Three Romantic Poets"

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