Defeated southern leader Rigaud sails for France

On 20 March 1796, General Jean Villatte and allied forces arrested French governor Étienne Laveaux at Cap-Français. The episode reflected competition among revolutionary commanders and the fragile...

Nine days after Villatte’s coup, Toussaint’s forces freed Laveaux. Laveaux appointed Toussaint lieutenant-general to the government of Saint-Domingue. The appointment joined revolutionary military...

In September 1797, Toussaint Louverture became commander-in-chief of French forces in Saint-Domingue. His rise reflected military victories and the indispensability of Black leadership to the...

After years of costly occupation, British forces negotiated their withdrawal from Saint-Domingue with Toussaint Louverture. An agreement dated 31 August 1798 secured evacuation of the remaining...

On 17 June 1799, forces loyal to André Rigaud attacked Petit-Goâve, escalating a conflict that became known as the War of the South or War of Knives. The struggle pitted revolutionary leaders with...

Toussaint Louverture arrived at Les Cayes on 1 August 1800, following the defeat and departure of Rigaud. This marked the extension of his authority across the colony’s southern region. The campaign...

On 26 January 1801, Toussaint Louverture’s forces entered Santo Domingo, the Spanish-speaking eastern part of Hispaniola, claiming authority under France’s 1795 cession. The action extended...

A ten-member assembly convened at Port-au-Prince on 22 March 1801 to draft a constitution for Saint-Domingue. The initiative used the French Constitution of Year VIII, which allowed colonies to...

Toussaint Louverture promulgated the Constitution of Saint-Domingue on 8 July 1801. It declared that slavery was forever abolished, barred racial distinctions in principle, and made Toussaint...

In early February, a large French expedition under Charles Leclerc arrived to reassert French authority. Henri Christophe refused to surrender Cap-Français; revolutionary forces set much of the city...