Toussaint LOuverture and the Haitian Revolution

Toussaint LOuverture and the Haitian transmutationThis investigation will cover the theme of the Haitian transpose (1791-1804) with the specific focus of the ultra induceer, Toussaint LOuverture. The research oral sex is To what extent did the headlinering of Toussaint LOuverture result in the advantage of the Haitian Revolution? Two of the witnessers used in this investigation include the translation of an story of Toussaint LOuverture and a pa lineament on the Haitian Revolution.Memoir of General Toussaint LOuvertureThe archives of Toussaint LOuverture is a master(a) source as it was written by the transmutationary leader himself during his life. LOuverture wrote this account of the revolution and his reference in it after the Haitian Revolution while he was in prison in 1803. This recital is signifi atomic number 50t to this investigation because it directly tells his account of the events and will be classical in investigating LOuvertures role in the revolution . This docuwork forcet contains judge for its c fit because it is a first hand account of an important historical common fig tree. The narrative begins with LOuverture stating that he was operateed by the cut government to give a aboveboard account and reflection, thus giving it its encourage from mean. This source as well has value from its content because LOuverture discusses battles, important figures, and communications between nations and leaders in keen detail. This document is check by its origin because LOuverture originally wrote this autobiography in French so the document in examination is a translation. A limitation in its purpose is that it was written to account the Haitian emplacement of the date and therefore is twisted because he was only examining mavin side. A limitation in its content is that this document is only matchless mankinds look and it does not present everything from the opposing French view.A Concise floor of the Haitian Revolutio nThe next source is a book on the history of the Haitian Revolution written by Popkins, an American professor and scholar. It was published in 2012, prospicient after the events of the Haitian Revolution, and it is all base on archival research so it is a secondary source. This deduction of this document to this investigation is that it will admit a big mental picture account and analysis of the Haitian Revolution and of Toussaint LOuvertures role. This source has value because it was created for the purpose of historical accuracy and looking at multiple views. Additionally, this source has value for its origin because the author had no personal connection to the events, eliminating potential bias due to the author belonging to one side of the conflict. The author is too stated to be an expert in French and Haitian history, unless eliminating bias because of limited knowledge. A value in its content is that this book examines interpretations from many incompatible sources. A limitation by the content of this source is that the author has no personal knowledge of the events of the Haitian Revolution or of Toussaint LOuverture. The source is also limited by its origin because it was created a long time after the events it covers. Additionally, it is limited because it was created for the purpose of making a short overview of the Haitian Revolution, limiting the detail and specific knowledge included in it.Part B Investigation countersignature count 1255The Haitian Revolution was a bloody uprising and the only successful striver uprising in history (Girard 28) . Haiti was a French hard worker colony until the slaves revolted against France. The revolution resulted in the liberation of the slave muckle and the creation of a sable republic. The slaves had no formal organization and therefore relied on the leadership of one man Toussaint LOuverture. General LOuverture was of African heritage, speaking a native African tongue as well as French (Myers 6 ). His life as a slave gradually improved as he was promoted to high positions and was allowed to live a comfortable lifestyle, including family life, profit, and education (Rainsford 243). His access to education and writings was crucial to his ability to lead militarily and policy-makingly. He gained his freedom after fifty years of sla very(prenominal), by which time he had developed powerfully rooted ideals about his race and their emancipation (Beard 22). When the slave revolts began, LOuverture did not this instant join the mesh and instead, seeing how brutal the uprising slaves were, decided to be patient (Rainsford 246). This demonstrates that LOuverture did not have any role in fountain the slave revolts because he did not join the cause until later. Once he did join the fight, he served as a soldier, and soon was promoted to various leadership roles, under a general kn receive for his brutality (246). At this time, the slaves were fill up with rage and passion and t hey carried out violent attacks. LOuverture saw this and realized that change was not going to come about in this manner. (244). This knowledge lay the basis for LOuvertures level headed approach to war and politics.The slave revolts were generally disorganised and haphazard (Rainsford 243), as none of these slaves had military or political training, let alone basic education. LOuverture joined the revolt equipped with the knowledge to lead a military and political uprising and the case to solicit chase (Rainsford 244). LOuverture had much success as a general fighting the French and a as a nation builder. He claims in his autobiography that the peace and economic success of the island were all his work (Louverture Memoir 295). It would come along that LOuvertures leadership had created a functioning society out of a slave state. Haiti had a working economy under his leadership because he rivet the economy on the agricultural production which had been the status quo during Fre nch overlook when the island produced large amount of c completeee and sugar for Europe (295). Although many Haitians were smoldering with the relatively unchanged economy, it worked to stabilize the infant nation (Rainsford 240). General LOuverture was very successful at leading the slave armies. Along with his assisting generals, Christophe and Dessalines, he was able to pressure all British forces who were at the time in conflict with the revolutionaries to withdraw from the island (Bell 114). He was also very successful in negotiating with the French General Leclerc, who misrepresented Frances orders by attacking LOuverture and his forces. LOuverture was able to calmly act by arranging a diplomatic meeting and creating a gag law about territorial boundaries, proving his advanced diplomatic ability (Louverture Memoir 296). He also proved advanced military ability by defend cities against French Gen. Rochambeau. One specific battle was at La Croix, during which LOuverture fo ught off Rochambeaus force which far outnumbered his own (304). Dessalines and Christophe also proved very equal to(p) and they worked cohesively with each separate and with LOuverture (301). LOuvertures leadership empowered the Haitian people and the slave armies and his reputation had such a lasting effect that he became a gun for hireic figure for anti slavery activism in the U.S. He was set forth by several(prenominal) activists in the mid-1800s as being among historys greatest men (Clavin 38). His character became a symbol of anti slavery idealism and, on a larger scale, of racial equality (35). LOuverture was proof of the ability of disgraceful men to achieve feats comparable to white men, showing that the races were equal (38). His success had revolutionary implications because this was the first time a black slave population had ousted a white population (Popkins 6).It is consistently accepted by the forego sources that LOuverture is the man who lead the Haitians to fr eedom and the start of an independent nation. However, LOuverture had no role in declaring the emancipation of the nation because at the time he was in prison in France. In 1802 LOuverture was imprisoned by France until his death in 1803 (Louverture Memoir 305). Thus, he was absent during the finals days of the revolution. After his imprisonment, Christophe and Dessalines continued the fight and forced out the French armies of Rochambeau and Leclerc (Dubois 41). It was Dessalines, in fact, who officially decl ard Haitis independence and named the nation (History.com). Popkins book, A Concise History of the Haitian Revolution, discusses the less romantic side of LOuvertures rule. LOuverture put in place an sniffy government with the remainder of protecting the freedom of the black population, with himself as the head figure (Popkins 90). The novel government had to be able to protect the people from other revolts indoors the nation, as well as from invasion from other nations ( 91). The fact that there were other revolts within Haiti itself demonstrates that LOuverture was not completely successful at achieving unity. In a letter to the people of Haiti, LOuverture says that around of the Haitians provoke the disunity of citizens and the disorganization of the flow state of affairs, showing that the country was not unified (LOuverture Letter). LOuverture implemented increasingly violent means to maintain his authority, because the Haitian people did not coveting to cooperate with him and in fact, many resented his authority (Popkins 91). Popkins work tells the events from a different angle than the previously discussed sources. While Popkins is not directly contradicting Clavins statement that LOuverture was a great man, he provides us with some contradictory evidence of LOuvertures political achievement (Clavin 38). It becomes clear, whence, that LOuvertures leadership was not flawless, as it is portrayed in some ideological accounts of the man.In summ ary, Toussaint LOuverture was a qualified leader who rose to command the slave armies of the Haitian Revolution. He played an important role in unifying the slave armies as well as building a functioning nation. LOuverture was crucial in organizing the Haitians in revolution against the French and his authoritarian rule kept the nation together despite internal conflict. His character was admired by Haitians at the time and by American anti slavery activists. The general, however, does not play the singular role of Haitian liberator. LOuverture had no role in the beginning of the revolutionary cause, and he had no role in the declaring of independence. Furthermore, there are contrasting views of LOuverture as an idealized hero and as an authoritarian ruler. Many authors write of the general as an majestic man and a symbol of racial equality, yet there is also evidence of him being violent and unsuccessful in unification. To LOuvertures credit, the local spot was far too combustibl e for gradual reform, and he did all that any man could to stabilize the nation (Brown 4). He did more than any other one person did in the efforts to establish the free nation of Haiti. In conclusion, General Toussaint LOuverture was a pivotal figure in the success of the slave armies and in the building of the Haitian nation, but he did not lead the Haitian slaves completely from oppression to republic.Part C ReflectionWord count 412In my investigation, I discovered that the modern-day view of Toussaint LOuverture is one of an idealized hero. His image has been used by many biographers to support anti slavery movements and to explore racial equality. Many secondary accounts of LOuverture give the man high praise and essentially create him as an ideological figure rather than a historical figure. While this situation provides ample work praising LOuverture, it creates an issue in which it is challenging for historians to find purely existent accounts as well as opposing accounts of his role in the Haitian Revolution. I examined base and secondary sources in my investigation. The secondary sources proved expensive in that they provide big picture looks at the events surround LOuverture and the revolution. The primary source of LOuvertures memoir proved valuable because it provided first hand accounts of events which are likely to be completed and truthful. I was challenged with my primary source because it provide only small areas of information, lacking the big picture view of the Haitian revolution which I found in my secondary sources. I in condition(p) from this the challenges that historians face when creating secondary historical works based on primary sources. When doing my research, I located the parts of each work dealing specifically with Toussaint LOuverture. Some of my sources covered much more than my area of focus so I had to limit where I looked within each source. I then organized my sources by their purpose in my investigation informatio n on Toussaints life, positive views of his leadership, and skeptical views of his leadership.While in many areas of research facts can be obtained with pure objectivity, historical research does not have this luxury. In my investigation I gained awareness of the challenges historians face in finding accurate information. Historical archive-based research is challenging because all works contain some level of bias. Another issue I faced is that there is limited documentation available addressing the opposing sides to the Haitian Revolution. This is because the French and European people paid little attention to the slave revolts at the time (Popkins 10). This leaves historians with a limited scope of documentation from which to create secondary accounts. It is the role of the historian to discern the accuracy of sources by evaluating their value and limitations, which I did in my own investigation. I also learned from my investigation that the significance of historical figures may change over time due to historians purposes for writing.Works CitedBeard, John Relly. The breeding of Toussaint LOuverture, the Negro Patriot of Hayti Comprising an key out of the Struggle for Liberty in the Island, and a Sketch of Its History to the Present Period. Chapel Hill, NC U of North Carolina, 2012. Questia School. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.Bell, Madison Smartt. Toussaint Louverture A Biography. New York Pantheon, 2007. Print.Beard, J. R., and James Redpath. Toussaint LOuverture A Biography and Autobiography. Freeport, NY for Libraries, 1971. Print.Brown, Gordon S. Toussaints article The Founding Fathers and the Haitian Revolution. Jackson, MS U of Mississippi, 2005. Questia School. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.Clavin, Matthew J. Toussaint Louverture and the American civilian War The Promise and Peril of a Second Haitian Revolution. Philadelphia U of Pennsylvania, 2010. Questia School. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.Dubois, Laurent. Haiti The Aftershocks of History. New York Metropolitan, 2012. Print. Girard, Philippe R. Haiti The Tumultuous Historyfrom Pearl of the Caribbean to Broken Nation. New York Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print.History.com Staff. Haitian Independence Proclaimed. History.com. AE Television Networks, 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.LOuverture, Toussaint. Letter to the Citizens of Color and Free Negroes of Saint-Domingue by Haiti 1791. Themarxists.org. Trans. Mitch Abidor. Marxists.org, 2007. Web. 09 Apr. 2016.Louverture, Toussaint. Memoir of Toussaint LOuverture. Boston James Redpath, 1863. Print.Myers, Walter Dean, and Jacob Lawrence. Toussaint LOuverture The Fight for Haitis Freedom. New York Simon Schuster for Young Readers, 1996. Print.Popkin, Jeremy D. A Concise History of the Haitian Revolution. Malden, MA Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. Questia School. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.Rainsford, Marcus. An Historical Account of the Black Empire of Hayti Comprehending a View of the Principal Transactions in the Revolution of Saint Domingo, with Its Antient and Modern State. London J. Cundee, 1805. Print.