Haiti : TOUSSAINT L’OVERTURE (1743-1803) BLACK REVOLUTIONARY — Liberator of Haiti

SeekingMaat

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Oct 16, 2003
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London, Babylon
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The impassable mountains of Saint Domingue (Haiti). cut the island in two parts. The Spaniards occupied one part: the French took possession of tile We3tern part in 1630. With the use of Black Slave labour France made this colony the richest and most envied of all the other imperialist nations.
During the 17th Century there were 2,000,000 black slaves in Saint Domingue who toiled under the yoke of slavery, and their cruel slave masters to keep up a steady flow of "Sugar", cotton and Indigo to France and increase the wealth of the plantation owners and France. The cruel treatment by the white made the slaves more determined to free themselves from slavery.
Many slaves were escaping and using various means of taking revenge on the the whites — some used poisons, others tried to wreck the economy by burning the crops and killing the most valuable slaves. Macandal, a slave who had escaped and had succeeded in poisoning several slave masters, was caught and ordered to be burnt alive on a January afternoon in 1758. A boy of 15, Toussaint, watched Macandal twisting and writhing in the flames. At the same time the white people laughed, joked and mocked at Macandal’s agony. The slaves looked on in horror. This sight filled Toussaint with one ambition: to rid Saint Domingue of slavery and free his black brothers and sisters.
Toussaint Breda, as he was then called, was born on the night of May 20th, 1743 in Cap Francis. He was the son of two slaves who toiled on a plantation in Cap Francis. Toussaint was a sickly child but as he grew up his body hardened with the harshness of slavery. He was taught arithmetic, how to read and write French and Latin. His father taught him the Arada language and how to use herbs for medicine. Toussaint was aware of the importance of his African ancestry by the stories his mother and father told him about Africa and the tactics that were employed in war by the various African Kings, and warriors.
When Toussaint was old enough to take up duties as a slave he was put in charge of the cattle. He did his work well but was saddened at the menial mechanical jobs the Blacks were given. Daily he would watch his fellow slaves working on the sugar plantations, laboring under the lash of the whip. Toussaint was very clever, he hid his feelings: he smiled at the overseers and gave the impression that he was happy and contented; but always the sight of Macandal twisting in agony lingered in his memory, and the promise he made to free his people.


At the age of 12 Toussaint could jump on a horse at full speed and make it perform anything he wished. He could also swim across a dangerous river without being in danger of drowning. By the time Toussaint was 21 be had read quite a lot on military art, economics, and politics.
Slavery usually dulls the intelligence of a slave and degrades his character, but as we will see Toussaint was not dulled or marred by slavery in any way.

more:
http://www.ipoaa.com/toussaint_loverture.htm
 
After reading the article in its fullness I was a little disapointed in the ending. Toussaint had one critical flaw that was not even mentioned. As great and resourceful as he was, he could not overcome the desire to associate with his former slave masters. He had the conditioning that many of our people suffer from even to this day. In the back of his mind he could not back away from or isolate himself mentally from the invisible bond that he psychologically maintained toward whites. Because of this failure to break his mental bonds, he went to dialogue personally with the French concerning the terms of the tready. They have no such alliegance toward him or us. Therefore he basically volunteered to be surrendered to his enemies and was taken to France where he was brutalized until he died in a French prison a few years after he surrendered to them. So often this aspect of his life and death are seldom adressed. Because of his mental conditioning, he never realized that what he held on to about whites forced him to remain a slave until his voluntary surrender to his white masters. He died seeking the approval of whites is the lesson that a people of color should uderstand and teach there future generations . Whites have no such loyalty to us. Never have and never will have this trained mind set. They love themselves and their own kind too much for that kind of thinking. Peace
 
After reading the article in its fullness I was a little disapointed in the ending. Toussaint had one critical flaw that was not even mentioned. As great and resourceful as he was, he could not overcome the desire to associate with his former slave masters. He had the conditioning that many of our people suffer from even to this day. In the back of his mind he could not back away from or isolate himself mentally from the invisible bond that he psychologically maintained toward whites. Because of this failure to break his mental bonds, he went to dialogue personally with the French concerning the terms of the tready. They have no such alliegance toward him or us. Therefore he basically volunteered to be surrendered to his enemies and was taken to France where he was brutalized until he died in a French prison a few years after he surrendered to them. So often this aspect of his life and death are seldom adressed. Because of his mental conditioning, he never realized that what he held on to about whites forced him to remain a slave until his voluntary surrender to his white masters. He died seeking the approval of whites is the lesson that a people of color should uderstand and teach there future generations . Whites have no such loyalty to us. Never have and never will have this trained mind set. They love themselves and their own kind too much for that kind of thinking. Peace


Greetings brotha Seksen, I'm sure your realise that the 'link' is an extremely abridged version of Toussaint's life and death. Its interesting that you see his actions as
In the back of his mind he could not back away from or isolate himself mentally from the invisible bond that he psychologically maintained toward whites. Because of this failure to break his mental bonds, he went to dialogue personally with the French concerning the terms of the tready
(and you are entitled to your view). Whereas I see his 'actions' as doing what every General (Leader of Men/politician) does - meet and communicate their 'agendas' to each other (even today). Eye could almost guarantee (but I wont ;)) that Toussaint never voluntarily surrendered to any 'white master'. His 'mistake' - and it is no real mistake - was thinking that those 'Generals' whom he was dealing with, were as Honourable as he.

Peace
 
I have read other accounts of Toussaints surender and life story. He was told by his own generals to send REPRESENTATIVES to discuss the treaty. He was hard headed and wanted to face the French and discuss the terms face to face at the table of negotiotion. Only an ignorant person wants to face an enemy face to face at this level of politics. This is why SECRETARIES, AMBASSADORS, NEGOTIATORS are used in discussing the terms of political agreements instead of the PRESIDENT personally who got the victory over an enemy in war. Retalliation is always possible if you make an appearance before terms are settled. As I said earlier, he wanted to personally negotiate with the whites. He also wanted them to accept him as their equal. He also wanted to be restored as a member of the White Catholic Church. This is the same mind set of many blacks today,and you know this is true and factual. Why do you think so many of us want to marry mssah,and his children, or want to move next door, or bleach our skin or our hair blond to try to look like the one who has done us the most harm. This a mental issue regardless of what you think or say. As for as I know you could have some of the same issues as he had. By the way, this article is not the only information about the beliefs, life, conflicting ideas,mindset and ego of Toussaint L'Overture. Peace
 

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