Toussaint louverture, leader of the haitian independence movement during the french revolution 178799. James, the widely known trinidadian intellectual, writer, and political activist, wrote the play toussaint louverture. Toussaint louverture one of the most remarkable men of a period rich in. In 1743 he was born into slavery in breda near cape francois, saint dominigue.
At only eight years old, toussaint louverture was marked forever after witnessing a grave tragedy befall his enslaved father. His military and political acumen saved the gains of the first black insurrection in november 1791. The first known representations of toussaint were included in a book by british admirer marcus rainsford, who published an historical account of the black empire in hayti in 1805. Displacing dessalines, or the transatlantic geographies of. Publication date 1850 topics toussaint louverture, 1743. Toussaint louverture confirms, in other words, that a hegemonic white masculine subjectivity and. He believes in sacrificing everything for his country. If the inline pdf is not rendering correctly, you can download the pdf file here. This page was last edited on 5 november 2016, at 12.
Over two decades lateras an adult and a free manlouverture enlists his military genius and political acumen to lead the first successful slave uprising that led. The kingdom of this world michigan state university. The story of the only successful slave revolt in history, which was presumed lost until the rediscovery of a draft copy in 2005. The plays production, performed in 1936 at londons westminster theatre with a cast including the american star paul robeson. His valiant life and tragic death made him a symbol of the fight for liberty, and he is celebrated in one of wordsworths finest sonnets and in a dramatic poem by lamartine.
Memoir of toussaint louverture, written by himself tlp. Constitution was promulgated on july 8th, 1801 by the governor general. Of division, toussaint louverture now is the time, citizengeneral, to make known unquestionably to the generalinchief that those who wish to deceive him in regard to your fidelity are base calumniators 2, and that your sentiments tend to restore order and tranquillity in your neighborhood. He emancipated the slaves and negotiated for the french colony on hispaniola, saintdomingue later haiti, to be governed, briefly, by black former slaves as a french protectorate. Though ostensibly a play about haiti and about black masculinity, lamartine s toussaint louverture puts white masculinity center stage. Plato and buddha among the greatest men of all time, lamartine composed a. The university of exeter press toussaint louverture. Remembering the haitian revolution through french texts.
Haitis proud revolutionary past and its more recent. Comprising an account of the struggle for liberty in the island, and a sketch of its history to the present period. A reading of the fiveact drama informed by a psychoanalytic theory of hegemonic masculinity reveals that toussaints black body functions in the text as a fetish and that a white masculine anxiety subtends the. Suzanne simone baptiste louverture born around 1742 may 19, 1816 agen, france was the wife of toussaint louverture. The contributions of toussaint louvlrture to the independence of the american republics, 17761826 introduciton harold palmer davis published his black democracy in 1928, after twelve years of study and of residence in haiti, he wrote of toussaint louverture that it would be impossible to form any true estimate of toussaints. Haitian revolution, toussaint louverture, evoking his period of. Though ostensibly a play about haiti and about black masculinity, lamartines toussaint louverture puts white masculinity center stage. Louverture is arguably the most notable man of african descent in history, and the haitian revolution was the most radical of the three great revolutions of its time. Acte adrienne aime albert allez ame aurait avant blancs bras cetait cach.
Scholarly interest in the haitian revolution and the life of toussaint louverture has increased over the past decade. The autobiography of toussaint louverture is a primary source as it was written by the revolutionary leader himself during his life. Although lamartine began composing toussaint louverture as early as 1839, he did not take. In lamartine s toussaint louverture, toussaint relies on religion as he looks to god and past prophets for inspiration and motivation.
Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Toussaint louverture, as depicted in an 1802 french engraving treaties with britain and the united states. Dissertations gratuites sur toussaint louverture lamartine. He had a vision to see his people grow in mind, in thought, and in deed. Toussaint himself was treacherously seized and sent to france, where he died in a dungeon at fortdejoux, in the french jura. It draws a compelling image of toussaint louverture, the father of haitian independence. The life of toussaint l ouverture, the negro patriot of hayti. The contrasting characters symbolize the new france and follow a new god, napoleon, and focus on reading, writing, and money. Some sources claim she might have been a relative perhaps a niece of pierre baptiste, toussaint s father or godfather. Rogers proof is, of course, only as good as the evidence presented by thomas prosper gragnonlacoste. The contributions of toussaint louverture to the independence of. The saintdomingue constitution of 1801 also referred to as toussaint louvertures. Cette derniere, mariee au colonel claude martin, a probablement des descendants en france.
A strong family woman, she was fiercely loyal to and deeply in love with toussaint. The contributions of toussaint louvlrture to the independence of the american republics, 17761826 introduciton harold palmer davis published his black democracy in 1928, after twelve years of study and of residence in haiti, he wrote of toussaint louverture that it would be impossible to form any true estimate of toussaint s. He was freed from slavery in 1777, and in 1791 he joined the slave rebellion as a medical officer. Toussaint louverture page 39 toussaint louverture was a leader of the haitian independence movement during the french revolution.
Toussaint louverture and stephen girard forgotten patriot. Auteur du texte auteur du texte ce document est disponible en mode texte. Comprising an account of the struggle for liberty in the island, and a sketch of its history to the present. Louverture wrote this account of the revolution and his role in it after the haitian revolution while he was in prison in 1803. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license.
Lamartine toussaint louverture, poeme dramatique, 1850. A reading of the fiveact drama informed by a psychoanalytic theory of hegemonic masculinity reveals that toussaint s black body functions in the text as a fetish and that a white masculine anxiety subtends the. Some sources claim she might have been a relative perhaps a niece of pierre baptiste, toussaints father or godfather. An illustration of a computer application window wayback machine an illustration of an open book. Army of saint domingo, headquarters at georges, june 7, 1802. Paperback546 pages, epub, digital audiobook isbn10.