Toussaint L Ouverture: The Haitian Revolution

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Slide 1 (Background): The Haitian Revolution mainly started because of the French Revolution which began shortly before it, as the French Government had control over Haiti. During this time, there were many slaves working on plantations in Haiti, with almost seventeen times as many slaves as there were whites. The whites were unhappy because they did not have any representation in French Government, yet were paying very high taxes, and the slaves wanted freedom.

Slide 2: The revolution continued when the whites in Haiti did not listen to legislation created by the French National Assembly that allowed full citizenship to men born of free parents, which sparked battling in Port-au-Prince. Meanwhile, uprisings began on plantations …show more content…
Toussaint L’Ouverture was a very powerful leader during his time. He managed to unify his people, abolished slavery, negotiated payment for ex-slaves working on plantations, helped to improve the economy, and was well-liked.

Slide 5: Toussaint L’Ouverture lost power when Napoleon sent and invasion of troops to Haiti that quickly defeated him, which resulted in the exile of L’Ouverture to France, and he dies in prison there. This leaves most of the island of Haiti upset, as they realize that they will return to slavery under the French rule.

Slide 6: Jean-Jacques Dessalines also a former slave, L’Ouverture’s general seizes power after L’Ouverture’s exile, rebels against French alongside supporters when Napoleon tries to bring black slavery to Haiti. Fortunately, an epidemic of the yellow fever kills off many of the French, and Britain's war with France causes them to aid the Haitian Revolution. With this help, Dessalines and his forces were able to push France out of Haiti. Finally, Dessalines declared Haiti independence on January 1st,

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