The Slaves Who Defeated Napoleon: Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian War of Independence, 1801–1804

Description

Haiti lost most of its archives to neglect and theft, but a substantial number of documents survive in French, U.S., British, and Spanish collections, both public and private. In all, this book relies on contemporary military, commercial, and administrative sources drawn from nineteen archives and research libraries on both sides of the Atlantic. In this ambitious book, Girard employs the latest tools of the historian’s craft, multi-archival research in particular, and applies them to the climactic yet poorly understood last years of the Haitian Revolution. Contents list of illustrations vii Acknowledgments ix introduction 1 1. the Black napoléon: louverture and the 1801 constitution 11 2. the White toussaint: Bonaparte’s Decision to invade saint- Domingue 33 3. Eve of a Battle: planning the leclerc Expedition 50 4. King of the tropics: the Atlantic crossing and the moyse Uprising 67 5. parley: the french landing 86 6. supply and Demand: leclerc’s Diplomacy with the United states, cuba, and Jamaica 101 7. Ash and iron: the spring campaign 113 8. lull: love, loot, labor, and louverture’s Exile 139 9. mal de siam: the yellow fever Epidemic 159 10. faux pas: the maroon Uprising 182 11. revolt: the Defection of the colonial Army 203 12. reprieve: rochambeau and the french counteroffensive 224 13. Unity is strength: Dessalines and the Unification of the rebel Army 248 14. Echoes of saint- Domingue: louverture’s captivity and the louisiana purchase 267 15. new Enemy, new partner: the British navy at War 282 16. sodom and gomorrah: life in Besieged french towns 291 17. resolution: the rebel victory 302 18. liberty and Death: haitian independence 313 19. the long Way home: french refugees and the fall of santo Domingo 329 conclusion 343 notes 349 glossary of french and Kreyol terms 429 Bibliographic Essay 431 index 437 FigUrEs 1. toussaint louverture 2 2. population of color in saint-Domingue 211 3. mass drowing by the french army 240 4. french war dogs 241 5. Jean-Jacques Dessalines 318 TABlES 1. french and foreign units scheduled to leave in late 1801 58 2. french and foreign ships composing the squadrons of the first expedition (no vem ber 1801–January 1802) 72 3. toussaint louverture’s army (estimate) 83 4. french and foreign units that arrived during the spring campaign (february–may 1802) 114 5. french and foreign units that arrived during the yellow fever epidemic ( June–oc to ber 1802) 169 6. french and foreign units that arrived during rochambeau’s counteroffensive (november 1802–march 1803) 230 7. last french and foreign units to reach saint- Domingue (April–June 1803) 274 maps 1. french saint- Domingue and the northern caribbean, 1801 3 2. the spring 1802 campaign 116