Louverture, Toussaint, 1743-1803

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François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture, also known as Toussaint L'Ouverture or Toussaint Bréda, was a Haitian general and prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution. Louverture was born enslaved around 1743 on the plantation of Bréda on the northern coast of Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). His father, Gaou Guinou, was believed to be the son of a West African king, and his mother, Pauline, was Guinou’s second wife. Louverture was Catholic and appeared well-educated in his youth; his letters demonstrated use of both French and Creole and a familiarity with philosophers.

Louverture was given his freedom in 1776 and continued to work on his former owner’s coffee plantation. Around 1777, he married his first wife, Cécile, and went on to have three children, Toussaint Jr., Gabrielle-Toussaint, and Marie-Marthe. Around 1782, he married Suzanne Simone Baptiste and had three more children, Placide, through adoption, Isaac, and Saint-Jean.

The start of the French Revolution in 1789 inspired freed people of color in Saint-Domingue to seek additional rights under the law. After the rebellion in Saint-Domingue began in 1791, Louverture left Bréda and joined the Spanish-allied military forces of Georges Biassou. He soon took on a leadership role, discussing strategy and negotiations. In the mid-1790s, Louverture campaigned for the complete abolition of slavery. When the French revolutionary government outlawed slavery in February 1794, Louverture switched his allegiance to the French.

He was promoted to Saint-Domingue’s highest-ranking officer in 1797. By 1801, Louverture had extended abolition throughout Saint-Domingue, and in 1802, established a constitution for the colony, instating himself as governor. Louverture was arrested and deported to France during Napoleon Bonaparte’s expedition to subdue the colony. He died in prison in France in 1803.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Haitian revolution research materials, 1791-[ca. 1950 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
creatorOf Toussaint Louverture Collection National Museum of American History (U.S.). Archives Center
referencedIn Kurt Fisher Haitian collection, 1727-1958 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
referencedIn Haiti : miscellaneous collections, 1785-1970. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn L'Ouverture Toussaint, Pierre Dominique, 1745-1803 : [miscellaneous ephemeral material]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
referencedIn Henri Grégoire papers, 1809-1850. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Matthew Calbraith Perry correspondence, 1812-1878. Houghton Library
referencedIn Boromé, Joseph Alfred, 1919-2002. Joseph A. Boromé papers, 1952-2002. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Toussaint Louverture, 1743-1803. Letter : [Santo Domingo], to [Collector of revenue Lacour?], 1801 Dec. 12. University of Chicago Library
referencedIn Walter Lionel Pforzheimer collection, 1487-1997 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
contributorOf Joseph J. Williams, SJ ethnological collection Boston College. John J. Burns Library
referencedIn Joseph Donath & Co. Letter books, 1801-1806. Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. Office of the President records, 1904-1980. Cheyney University, L. P. Hill Library
referencedIn Rochambeau, Donatien Marie Joseph de Vimeur, 1755-1813. Papers, 1764-1803. University of Florida
referencedIn Hoar, George Frisbie. 1826-1904. Autograph collection, 1598-1945 Houghton Library
creatorOf Toussaint Louverture, 1743?-1803. Letter : [Santo Domingo], to [Collector of revenue Lacour], 1801 Dec. 12. Texas Christian University
referencedIn Tobias Lear papers 1791-1817 Lear, Tobias, papers William L. Clements Library
referencedIn Historical manuscripts, 1636-1935. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
referencedIn American Philosophical Society Library. Miscellaneous Manuscripts Collection. 1668-1983. American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Hammerman, Dan. Henri Christophe: an historical drama about Haiti: typescript, 1945, copyright renewed 1972. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Haiti papers, [ca. 1791-1804]. Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library
referencedIn Oliver Hazard Perry papers 1796-1969 1812-1819 William L. Clements Library
referencedIn Mildred Stock Research collection, 1940-1975 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
creatorOf William L. Clements Library. Oliver Hazard Perry papers, 1796-1969. William L. Clements Library
creatorOf Toussaint Louverture, 1743-1803. Toussaint Louverture papers, 1797-1800. Library of Congress
referencedIn Haitian revolution research materials, 1791-[ca. 1950]. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Du Pont, Henry Francis, 1880-1969,. The Winterthur Manuscripts 1588-1955. Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn Joseph A. Boromé papers, 1952-2002 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
creatorOf Toussaint Louverture, 1743-1803. ALS : Cap Français au Son Excellence Monsieur le Gouverneur de l'isle de Cuba, An 9, Fructidor 10; [i.e. , 1801 Aug. 28]. Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
creatorOf Toussaint Louverture, 1743-1803. Passport, An 6 [i.e. 1798] Germinal 22, Gonaïves, Haiti, issued to Richard Codman. Boston Athenaeum
creatorOf Toussaint Louverture, 1743-1803. Documents relating to Santo Domingo, 1766-[ca. 1847]. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Donatien Marie Joseph de Vimeur Rochambeau Papers, 1764-1803 Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida
referencedIn Stuart, Alexander H. H. (Alexander Hugh Holmes), 1807-1891. Papers of Alexander H. H. Stuart and the related Stuart and Baldwin families [manuscript], 1776-1878 (bulk 1850-1861). University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Autograph File, T, 1580-1975. Houghton Library
creatorOf Dessalines, Jean-Jacques, 1758-1806. Haitian collection. 1714-1916 Boston Public Library, Central Library in Copley Square
referencedIn Kurt Fisher Haitian collection, 1727-1958. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Haiti. Collection, 1796-1888. Connecticut Historical Society
referencedIn James, C. L. R. (Cyril Lionel Robert), 1901-. The black Jacobins / by C.L.R. James, 1967. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
referencedIn Pforzheimer, Walter L. (Walter Lionel), 1914-2003. Walter Lionel Pforzheimer collection, 1487-1997 (inclusive), 1487-1982 (bulk). Yale University Library
referencedIn Joseph Halle Schaffner autograph collection, 1683-1948. Houghton Library
referencedIn West Indian collection, 1716-1857, 1716-1817 (bulk). New York State Historical Documents Inventory
creatorOf Toussaint Louverture, 1743-1803. A.L.S. to General Rochambeau 6 fevrier 1802 ; Mss. of prison memoirs 1802 / Toussaint Louverture. Northwestern University
referencedIn Borie family. Borie family papers, 1791-1888. Historical Society of Pennsylvania
referencedIn The black Jacobins: typescript, 1967 / by C. L. R. James. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Haiti collection 1761-1826, 1895, 1954 Haiti collection William L. Clements Library
referencedIn Tousard, Louis de, 1749-1817. Journal, 1791-1792 [microform]. Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn William Henry Hoffman Collection on Napoleon I, Napoleon I, William Henry Hoffman Collection on, (bulk 1789-1821), 1585-1913 John Hay Library, Special Collections
referencedIn Du Pont, Henry Francis, 1880-1969,. The Winterthur Manuscripts 1588-1955. Hagley Museum & Library
creatorOf Toussaint Louverture, 1743-1803. Letter, 30 Brumaire An 8 [i.e. 22 Nov. 1799 or 1800] to Citizen Meade [i.e. Richard Worsam Meade]. Boston Athenaeum
referencedIn Mildred Stock Research collection, 1940-1975. New York State Historical Documents Inventory
referencedIn Theodore Hedouville correspondence, 1798. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn French businessman's autobiography,19th century: Manuscript, 1820. Temple University Libraries, Paley Library
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associatedWith Agassiz, Louis, 1807-1873 person
associatedWith Banks, Joseph, Sir, 1743-1820 person
associatedWith Besse, Martial, b. 1758. person
associatedWith Borie family. family
associatedWith Boromé, Joseph Alfred, 1919-2002. person
associatedWith Codman, Richard, 1759-1833. person
associatedWith Cooper, Thomas, 1759-1839 person
associatedWith Coues, Elliott, 1842-1899 person
associatedWith Cuvier, Georges, Baron, 1769-1832 person
associatedWith Daniel, J. Hippolyte, b. 1806. person
associatedWith Darlington, William, 1782-1863 person
associatedWith Du Pont, Henry Francis, 1880-1969, person
associatedWith Everett, Edward, 1794-1865 person
associatedWith Fisher, Kurt A., 1908- person
associatedWith Fitch, John person
associatedWith Genth, F. A., (Frederick Augustus), 1820-1893 person
associatedWith Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 person
associatedWith Greeley, Horace, 1811-1872 person
associatedWith Haiti. corporateBody
associatedWith Hammerman, Dan. person
associatedWith Harding, Warren G. person
associatedWith Hoar, George Frisbie, 1826-1904 person
associatedWith Hoffman, William Henry, 1867-1916 person
associatedWith James, C. L. R. (Cyril Lionel Robert), 1901- person
associatedWith Kobler, John, 1910- person
associatedWith Meade, Richard W. (Richard Worsam), 1778-1828. person
associatedWith Napoléon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 person
associatedWith Newcomb, Simon person
associatedWith Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858 person
associatedWith Pforzheimer, Walter L. (Walter Lionel), 1914-2003. person
associatedWith Poinsett, Joel Roberts, 1779-1851 person
associatedWith Rittenhouse, David, 1732-1796 person
associatedWith Rochambeau, Donatien Marie Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de, 1750-1813. person
associatedWith Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813 person
associatedWith Schaffner, Joseph Halle, 1897-1972 person
associatedWith Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe, 1793-1864 person
associatedWith Seybert, Adam, 1773-1825 person
associatedWith Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866 person
associatedWith Stevens, Henry person
associatedWith Stuart, Alexander H. H. (Alexander Hugh Holmes), 1807-1891. person
associatedWith Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872 person
associatedWith Thomson, Charles, 1729-1824 person
associatedWith Tousard, Louis de, 1749-1817. person
associatedWith Waterton, Charles, 1782-1865 person
associatedWith Wayne, Anthony person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Republic of Haiti 00 HT
Subject
Generals
Haiti
Human rights Haiti
Revolutionaries
Occupation
Army officers, Haitian
Public officials
Reformers
Revolutionaries
Activity

Person

Birth 1743-05-20

Death 1803-04-07

Haitians

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