Witness History
Witness History
The slaves who defeated Napoleon
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December 3, 2020
11 minutes
Available for over a year
The first successful slave uprising in modern times happened in present-day Haiti. Former slave, Toussaint Louverture, forced the French colony to abolish slavery in 1794. The rebellion sent shock waves across America and Europe and made its leader famous around the world. France eventually lost its colony completely when its great military leader, Napoleon, was defeated by the former slaves. They then created the world's first black republic, which they named 'Haiti' from the indigenous Taino language. Claire Bowes has been speaking to Sudhir Hazareesingh, who's written a biography of Toussaint Louverture.
Image: Toussaint Louverture - portrait after lithograph by Delpech. Courtesy of Culture Club/Getty Images