Toussaint L'Ouverture: Fighting for Haitian Independence

Toussaint L'Ouverture was an eighteenth-century military hero who led the Haitian Revolution, one of the greatest and most successful slave uprisings in the world. Toussaint believed strongly in both racial equality and anticolonialism, and he not only led the revolution against French control of Haiti but also created a prosperous autonomous colony before breaking ties with France. Unfortunately, Toussaint died in exile before seeing the fruits of his labor. In this text, students will learn about the historical context in which the Haitian Revolution was fought, as well as Toussaint's role in it.