Toussaint Breda took the surname "L'Ouverture" -- one who finds an opening -- after his brilliant generalship brought the French to their knees in Haiti, and also fought off British and Spanish Armies who invaded Hispaniola to take advantage of the French debacle. Toussaint was born a slave, but his father had been born free back in Africa. Raised as a house slave by a liberal master, he learned to read and write, and was influenced by Enlightenment philosophers such as Rousseau and Voltaire. Fired up by the rhetoric of the French Revolution, such as the Rights of Man, the slaves revolted in Haiti, and lead by Toussaint, punished the French military.
The Jacobins washed their hands of Haiti, and Toussaint ruled the country as the de facto governor. After their fall from power, Napoleon eventually came to power and established himself as a dictator, but L'Ouverture defeated his armies also. Napoleon sued for peace in 1803, extending an offer of an armistice with the proviso that L'Ouverture retire from his role as the Napoleon of Haiti. The slave general/governor did, but several months later, Napoleon deceived the general, a modern Spartacus, by offering him a safe conduct so Toussaint could negotiate further terms of native Haiti's relationship with France. L'Ouverture was seized and imprisoned, where he was allowed a slow death from neglect.
The treacherous Napoleon was asked during his exile at St. Helena Island about his treatment of Toussaint L'Ouverture, his doppelganger, who was known as "The Black Napoleon" due to his remarkable military success and his ability to lead a government. The Corsican Corporal's response was, "What could the death of one wretched Negro mean to me?"
The Jacobins washed their hands of Haiti, and Toussaint ruled the country as the de facto governor. After their fall from power, Napoleon eventually came to power and established himself as a dictator, but L'Ouverture defeated his armies also. Napoleon sued for peace in 1803, extending an offer of an armistice with the proviso that L'Ouverture retire from his role as the Napoleon of Haiti. The slave general/governor did, but several months later, Napoleon deceived the general, a modern Spartacus, by offering him a safe conduct so Toussaint could negotiate further terms of native Haiti's relationship with France. L'Ouverture was seized and imprisoned, where he was allowed a slow death from neglect.
The treacherous Napoleon was asked during his exile at St. Helena Island about his treatment of Toussaint L'Ouverture, his doppelganger, who was known as "The Black Napoleon" due to his remarkable military success and his ability to lead a government. The Corsican Corporal's response was, "What could the death of one wretched Negro mean to me?"
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