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. L’Ouverture 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, L’Ouverture 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 L’Ouverture’s role in it. Students will be guided through their reading with a glossary of important words, a timeline, and references for further reading on the topic.
