TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE AND HAITI'S STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE: - Essay Example

By the 17th century, the western region of Hispania (known today as Haiti) was occupied by France after French pirates began to establish bases there and gradually took control of the slave trade and production (3). The French treated the slaves as poorly as the Spanish had. Flogging was very common as was amputation of an arm or leg if a slave attempted to escape. Additionally, some slaves were thrown into ovens or buried with their heads sticking out of the ground where ants and mosquitoes would bite them (4).

Many of the slaves in Haiti were born free in Africa which, along with the suffering they endured, made them more inclined to revolt against their masters (5). In 1793, Toussaint Louverture sent out a proclamation to the Haitian slaves telling them that he had “undertaken vengeance” and wanted “Liberty and Equity to reign in Saint Domingue.” He called for his enslaved brothers to unite together in order to obtain their freedom (6). Many experts now believe that Louverture was actually freed in 1776, which made him more able to accrue wealth and gain support for the rebellion.

In the two years previous to this proclamation, he had been fighting a guerilla war with other revolting slaves. Louverture was a brilliant strategist and was able to gain victories with his tactics. It was likely that he knew of the French governor’s plans to abolish slavery on the same day he sent out his proclamation (7). Even though it was the French governor who made the proclamation, Louverture was integral in the slave uprising which put pressure on the governor to declare abolition.

After obtaining freedom for the slaves Louverture joined the French, but that wasn’t the end of Haiti’s struggles. Haiti faced threats from both Spanish and British aggressors, but Louverture was able to end the Spanish threat as well as contain the British threat by again resorting to guerilla style tactics. In 1798, he established peace treaties with Britain and later in the year with America. At this time, Saint Domingue was still a French colony, but Louverture was content to not declare independence since slavery had been abolished (8).

However, he still maintained a vision of an independent nation. In 1799, tensions between Louverture and mulatto leader Andre Rigaud led to a civil war that lasted about a year. During the civil war, Napolean Bonaparte came into power and decreed that all French colonies be subjected to special laws. He told Louverture that abolition would be maintained but also told him that he could not attack the eastern part of the island (known as Santo Domingo) which was still under Spanish control. But after the civil war ended with Louverture emerging victorious, he ignored the decree and attacked Santo Domingo anyway.

He was able to achieve victory there as well and put an end to Spanish enslavement of African Americans in the region (9). At this point, Louverture now had control of the entire island of Hispania. With Bonaparte’s “special laws” looming, Louverture decided to draft a sort of pre-emptive constitution in 1801. In the constitution it states, “There cannot exist slaves, servitude is therein forever abolished. All men are born, live and die free and French” (10). Although Louverture assured him of his continued loyalty to France, Bonaparte was displeased with his actions and disregard for French authority and ultimately decided to send