When was toussaint louverture born

He might have given himself the name for similar reasons, or it may have started as a friendly taunt, referring to the gap in his teeth courtesy of a spent bullet.

Whatever the origin, Toussaint dropped the apostrophe in short order and became simply Toussaint Louverture. Having consolidated his control of the colony by ? He proposed a constitution that ensured equal treatment for all races and made him governor-for-life. He negotiated informal trade agreements with Britain and the United States, and instituted forced labor policies intended to keep the colony's productivity high.

It was during this period of relative peace and prosperity that Toussaint's power began to wane. In , Napoleon Bonaparte sent his brother-in-law General Leclerc with an expedition of 20, soldiers and secret orders to retake control of the colony and to reinstitute slavery.

Toussaint's rebel forces put up fierce resistance, ultimately causing Napoleon to commit 40, additional troops. Eventually, though, critical hesitations along with defections and betrayals within his officer corps led to Toussaint's surrender. Though allowed to retire from the field and return to civilian life, Toussaint was eventually betrayed, kidnapped, and taken to a prison in the French Alps.

Upon leaving Saint-Domingue, Toussaint remarked to Daniel Savary, a French captain, : "In overthrowing me, you have cut down in Saint-Domingue only the trunk of the tree of liberty.

It will spring up again by the roots, for they are numerous. In , Toussaint married Suzanne Simone Baptiste Louverture, who is thought to have been his cousin or his godfather's daughter. Towards the end of his life, he told General Cafarelli that he had fathered 16 children, of whom 11 had predeceased him. Not all his children can be identified for certain, but his three legitimate sons are well known.

The eldest, Placide, was probably adopted by Toussaint and is generally thought to be Suzanne's first child with a mulatto, Seraphim Le Clerc. The two sons born of his marriage with Suzanne were Isaac and Saint-Jean. Toussaint Louverture died in Fort de Joux on 7 April , unaware that his army would rally behind the leadership of his former general, Jean Jacques Dessalines, to win the colony's independence for good. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Site Map. Toussaint Louverture. Career Toussaint may have been involved in the planning of the Boukman Rebellion of , but what is certain is that he joined the army officially very shortly after the initial revolt.

Personal life In , Toussaint married Suzanne Simone Baptiste Louverture, who is thought to have been his cousin or his godfather's daughter. Death and legacy Toussaint Louverture died in Fort de Joux on 7 April , unaware that his army would rally behind the leadership of his former general, Jean Jacques Dessalines, to win the colony's independence for good. We strive for accuracy and fairness. His extant letters demonstrate a command of French in addition to Creole ; and he reveals familiarity with Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher who had lived as a slave.

His public speeches as well as his life's work, according to his biographers, show a familiarity with Machiavelli. His medical knowledge is attributed to familiarity with African or Creole herbal-medical techniques, as well techniques commonly found in Jesuit-administered hospitals. Throughout his military and political career, he used secretaries to prepare most of his correspondence. A few surviving documents in his own hand confirm that he could write, although his spelling in the French language was "strictly phonetic.

Toward the end of his life, he said he had fathered 16 children with multiple women, of whom 11 had predeceased him. The two sons born of his marriage with Suzanne were Isaac and Saint-Jean. Jean-Jacques Dessalines was at least partially responsible for Louverture's arrest, as asserted by several authors, including Louverture's son Isaac. For this action, Dessalines and his spouse received gifts from French general, Jean Baptiste Brunet who was ordered to conduct the arrest.

One version said that Brunet pretended that he planned to settle in Saint-Domingue and was asking Louverture's advice about plantation management. Louverture's memoirs, however, show Louverture had a letter, in which Brunet described himself as a "sincere friend", to take with him to France. Eventually, wielding knowledge of African and Creole medicinal techniques, he entered the war as a physician.

But he quickly distinguished himself as a canny tactician and a strategic, charismatic leader. As a general, Toussaint led his forces to victory over the planter class—and thousands of invading French troops. 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.