M.D. Wright
2.2.10
***EDITOR'S NOTE: Continuing Black History Month Series. At my discretion, there may be days where I write about several people in the same day. Obviously, there will be days when I cannot write at all, as priorities dictate. Enjoy!
Person Of The Day:
TOUSSAINT L'OVERTURE.
From a biography borrowed online:
Francois-Dominique Toussaint L’Ouverture was likely born on November 1, 1743, though this date has been disputed. He was born into slavery on a plantation under the ownership of Count de Breda. Toussaint’s father, an African named Gaou-Guinou and probably a member of the Arrada tribe, had been deported from his native country and brought to the island of Haiti to labor as a slave on the lucrative sugar plantations of the white men. Toussaint was the oldest the eight children—five of which were boys and three of which were girls. However, in his formative years, Toussaint was allowed by the plantation overseer the rare privilege of learning to read and write. He soon began reading everything available to him. Authors of these books included Plutarch, Epictetus, Caesar, Saxe, and, especially influential in Toussaint’s life, Abbé Raynal. In addition, Toussaint was raised in the beliefs of Roman Catholicism, the official religion of the island.
Throughout the rest of his life, his faith played an important roll in shaping both his actions and his personality. Toussaint possessed an innate skill for leadership, and this talent combined with his calm, but persistent, nature to create one of the greatest leaders of all time. Compared to most other slaves in the region, Toussaint was well off, serving as a coachman and house servant instead of toiling in the fields. Yet, good conditions or poor, he was still a slave, another man’s property.
These social upheavals were again followed by a short time of peace, in which Toussaint undertook the writing and establishment of the country’s constitution. This constitution ensured liberty and equality for all peoples regardless of race or color. It also named Toussaint as governor of the country for life and provided him the right to choose his successor. However, this did not settle well with the now jealous French commander Napoleon. Enraged, in January of 1802 Napoleon sent an army of approximately 20,000 men under the command of general Leclerc against Toussaint, but did so under a pretext of peace. Toussaint, however, saw through these deceptions and gathered an army from among the Haitians. War ensued, and the death toll climbed high. But in the French camp this was more often due to the deadly smallpox disease which many of the soldiers contracted. Yet, eventually, Toussaint’s forces were utterly exhausted and on May 5, 1802 he accepted a peace treaty with Leclerc which ensured Haiti’s independence and allowed Toussaint to retire to his estates in peace, provided that the fighting ceased. But treachery was afoot. Leclerc, under Napoleons orders, later invited Toussaint to a meeting where, despite Leclerc’s promise of safe conduct, the general had him captured, bound hand and foot, and put aboard a waiting ship. Toussaint was then transported to France and thrown into the dungeon of Fort de Joux in the Jura Mountains. And on April 7, 1803, Toussaint L’Ouverture died of apoplexy, pneumonia, and starvation.
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Well, well, well, what do we have here? Napoleon coming off like a typical imperialist from his era. A coward who lied, cheated and stole to get his way -- killing people in the process. Toussaint goes in good faith to resolve conflict once and for all and Bonaparte double-crosses him. Sounds like that was the European Way when they ventured into "The New World".
Toussaint L'Overture seemed mythical to me when I read about him extensively in elementary and middle school. I did a report on him in high school and wrote another on Haiti as a freshman at Long Island University (many) years ago. When these guys felt strongly about the way they were being (mis)treated, they didn't sit around and whine and complain about it. They ACTED on it. This man fought for his people in Haiti, and being Black brothers and sisters, they're my people also -- as well as learning of his African roots and went back and forth to France in the name of freedom and independence for Haiti.
While Bonaparte and his people double-crossed Toussaint and had him imprisoned, where he died, Haiti did experience independence from France on January 1, 1804, just mere months after Toussaint died in the French prison of pneumonia. He would have been proud to see independence finally come to fruition in his country.
Side Note: I love how people try to make it seem as if Bonaparte just gave Haiti and Louisiana away because they weren't "worth fighting for" any longer. No. His boys were getting the rat piss beat out of them in Haiti and they got out of there while the getting was good. The only way they took Toussaint down was by deception. Who can respect that?
DISCUSS>>>
