1 January
The only successful large-scale slave revolt in history culminated in a declaration of independence and the establishment of a free republic on new year’s day 1804.
The country was Haiti, where a massive slave rebellion had begun in August 1791. The rebel slaves’ most famous commander, although he was not involved in the early uprisings, was Toussaint L’Ouverture. He died in a French prison in 1803, however, and so did not live to see the Battle of Vertieres on 18 November 1803, when the French colonial army was defeated by Haitian rebels led by Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
‘In overthrowing me, you have cut down in San Domingo only the trunk of the tree of black liberty. It will spring up again by the roots, for they are numerous and deep.’ Toussaint l’Ouverture (1743-1803), on board the ship taking him to the French prison where he died
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365 days is co-authored by Steve Platt and Fiona Osler
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