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Revolutionary Lives
Toussaint Louverture: A Black Jacobin in the Age of Revolutions
“In overthrowing me, you have done no more than cut down the trunk of the tree of the black liberty in St. Domingue—it will spring back from the roots, for they are numerous and deep.”
These are Toussaint Louverture’s last words before being taken to prison in France. Heroic leader of the only successful slave revolt in history, Louverture is one of the greatest anti-imperialist fighters who ever lived. Born into slavery on a Caribbean plantation, he was able to break from his bondage to lead an army of freed African slaves to victory against the professional armies of France, Spain, and Britain in the Haitian Revolution of 1791-1804.
In this lively narrative biography, Louverture’s fascinating life is explored through the prism of his radical politics. Charles Forsdick and Christian Høgsbjerg champion the “black Robespierre,” whose revolutionary legacy has inspired people and movements in the two centuries since his death. For anyone interested in the roots of modern resistance movements and black political radicalism, Louverture’s extraordinary life provides the perfect groundwork.
These are Toussaint Louverture’s last words before being taken to prison in France. Heroic leader of the only successful slave revolt in history, Louverture is one of the greatest anti-imperialist fighters who ever lived. Born into slavery on a Caribbean plantation, he was able to break from his bondage to lead an army of freed African slaves to victory against the professional armies of France, Spain, and Britain in the Haitian Revolution of 1791-1804.
In this lively narrative biography, Louverture’s fascinating life is explored through the prism of his radical politics. Charles Forsdick and Christian Høgsbjerg champion the “black Robespierre,” whose revolutionary legacy has inspired people and movements in the two centuries since his death. For anyone interested in the roots of modern resistance movements and black political radicalism, Louverture’s extraordinary life provides the perfect groundwork.
200 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 6, 2024
Read in Las Galeras, pretty good read about Toussaint Louverture. Well researched, was bit more of a comparison of primary sources than most history books I've read which was a bit of a change, but I still enjoyed it. Definitely want to read the CLR James book about Toussaint.
December 28, 2022
This is a great & accessible biography of Toussaint Louverture. I know the basics of the Haitian revolution but nothing particularly in-depth so this was a very enjoyable read. Would recommend this for anyone looking to learn more about the Haitian revolution and Toussaint Louverture more specifically.
March 24, 2018
This short and highly readable book is an excellent introduction to the thought of Louverture. I highly recommend this remarkable book that effectively rebuts mainstream historical dismissals of his important legacy. Like everything Hogsbjerg has done (this time with Charles Forsdick), it has the touch of brilliance (yes a paraphrase of what E.P. Thompson said about C.L.R. James himself). But Hogsbjerg has really established him as a major scholar in the area relating to racism, imperalism and CLR James and this engaging biography of Louverture is no exception, including high quality colour portraits. It deserves a big audience and scholars that will engage with it. Highly recommended.
November 19, 2017
As someone with little knowledge of the Haitian revolution and Louverture, I found this book very accessible. There was enough depth to get a handle on the unfolding events, the historical context and Louverture's personal trajectory, without being overly bogged down in arcane details.
March 3, 2024
This is part of my now three-year initiative to read more Black history. How can I, who was not only interested in history but majored in French, have never heard of Toussaint Louverture until I started reading Caribbean history two years ago? It's appalling.
Points out that Lenin notes that one condition for a revolution was that the ruling classes were divided amongst themselves, and that was certainly the case in Haiti, with the "grand blanc" planters in conflict with the "petit blanc" landowners, as well as between the planters who dreamed of autonomy from France and the bureaucratic French elite, who represented it. So once the Revolution came to France, it came to Haiti as a civil war. However, it's a tough job to engage in a revolution in the name of liberty while retaining slaves. Although the US had succeeded, it was not an easy feat (27).
Summarizes how at first the slaves were to some extent royalists, as the Code Noir at least limited brutality, whereas the planters just wanted unfettered cruelty and capitalism. But by 1794, Lourverture and the other rebel slaves had moved away from language of kingship and mobilized the slogans of liberty and equality as among their greatest weapons (77).
New French Constitution in July 1801 was the first in the world to outlaw slavery "there cannot exist slaves on this territory; all men are born, live and die free and French" (94).
Dessalines tearing the white strip from the French flag symbolized his willingness to eradicate, if necessary, the presence of whites in the country; the red and blue strips reflecting "the alliance of the black and coloured populations" (126).
Haitian Revolution freed about 500,000 people in 1793 and another 110k the following year when emancipation was extended (temporarily) to Guadaloupe and Guyane (128); the British ended their slave trade just three years after Haitian independence; and the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1833 followed slave revolts in Barbados (1816), Demerara (1823) and Jamaica (1831-32).
Quotes CLR James, who "did more than almost any other historian to demonstrate that any idea the enslaved were ever 'docile' was a myth. As James noted in 1939, 'Negroes revolted against the slave raiders in Africa they revolted against the slave traders on the Atlantic passage. They revolted on the plantations . . . the only place where Negroes did not revolt is in the pages of capitalist historians" (150).
Points out that Lenin notes that one condition for a revolution was that the ruling classes were divided amongst themselves, and that was certainly the case in Haiti, with the "grand blanc" planters in conflict with the "petit blanc" landowners, as well as between the planters who dreamed of autonomy from France and the bureaucratic French elite, who represented it. So once the Revolution came to France, it came to Haiti as a civil war. However, it's a tough job to engage in a revolution in the name of liberty while retaining slaves. Although the US had succeeded, it was not an easy feat (27).
Summarizes how at first the slaves were to some extent royalists, as the Code Noir at least limited brutality, whereas the planters just wanted unfettered cruelty and capitalism. But by 1794, Lourverture and the other rebel slaves had moved away from language of kingship and mobilized the slogans of liberty and equality as among their greatest weapons (77).
New French Constitution in July 1801 was the first in the world to outlaw slavery "there cannot exist slaves on this territory; all men are born, live and die free and French" (94).
Dessalines tearing the white strip from the French flag symbolized his willingness to eradicate, if necessary, the presence of whites in the country; the red and blue strips reflecting "the alliance of the black and coloured populations" (126).
Haitian Revolution freed about 500,000 people in 1793 and another 110k the following year when emancipation was extended (temporarily) to Guadaloupe and Guyane (128); the British ended their slave trade just three years after Haitian independence; and the abolition of slavery in the British Empire in 1833 followed slave revolts in Barbados (1816), Demerara (1823) and Jamaica (1831-32).
Quotes CLR James, who "did more than almost any other historian to demonstrate that any idea the enslaved were ever 'docile' was a myth. As James noted in 1939, 'Negroes revolted against the slave raiders in Africa they revolted against the slave traders on the Atlantic passage. They revolted on the plantations . . . the only place where Negroes did not revolt is in the pages of capitalist historians" (150).
June 25, 2018
Charles Forsdick and Christian Høgsbjerg's 'Toussaint Lourverture' is an extremely readable and informative book on the life of Louverture and the complex, not to mention confusing, happenings of the Haitian Revolution. The authors draw heavily from C.L.R. James' 'The Black Jacobin' both theoretically and politically making it clear that they are sympathetic to both Louverture and the revolution. The authors also analyze other writers doing work on Louverture and the revolution providing helpful insight into the state of scholarship and perspectives on both. I would recommend reading this book as an introduction to the essential book on the Haitian Revolution: 'The Black Jacobin' by C.L.R. James'.
April 8, 2021
Solid broad strokes history. I feel like it mostly compares between the various other books that have been written about him although I haven't read any. It definitely inspired me to dig deeper and pick up CLR James
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July 14, 2018A complex book for a complex and fascinating man.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews