Toussaint L'Ouverture

Toussaint L'Ouverture (Pierre Dominique Toussaint-Bréda; c.1774–1803), emancipated Haitian slave who led the 1791 slave rebellion on the island of Haiti. The slaves won their freedom in 1793, while the French in Haiti were fighting against British and Spanish troops there. Toussaint, who joined forces with the French and forced the British to evacuate, became ruler of the island in 1799. He suppressed a mulatto uprising (1799) and resisted Napoleon's attempt to reimpose slavery on Haiti. Ultimately, Toussaint was captured and imprisoned until his death. His popular name, L'Ouverture, is French for “The Opening.” He has remained a symbol of the struggle for freedom.

See also: Haiti, Republic of.