"All that the negroes lack is a leader courageous enough to carry them to vengeance and carnage. Where is he, this great man, that nature owes to its vexed, oppressed, tormented children? Where is he? He will appear, do not doubt it. He will show himself and will raise the sacred banner of liberty. This venerable leader will gather around him his comrades in misfortune. More impetuous than the torrents, they will leave everywhere ineffaceable traces of their just anger."
― Abbé Raynal
― Abbé Raynal
Madison Smartt Bell has written a very accessible but detailed biography of Toussaint Louverture. Inclusive of Toussaint Louverture's origins, the broader story of the Haitian Revolution, its context, and the diplomatic and military engagements this book is perfect for initiates in the study of Saint Domingue/Haiti. In addition to being useful as an introductory, this text also taught myself a few things, too (such as Moyse being the adopted nephew of Toussaint, and possibly a former slave owned by Toussaint). The specific way in which Toussaint Louverture fell for Leclerc's trap, his time imprisoned in the cold Jura Mountains, and Bell's conjecture pertaining to Toussaint's thought processes, diplomacy, economic interests, etc. from 1791 to 1803 are informative. What was strange was the author's somewhat ambivalent stance on the question of a royalist conspiracy behind the 1791 slave revolt, especially because Bell acknowledges how unlikely and insane the the idea was (but he does allude to instances where Toussaint, Rigaud, and other significant players in the tale of the Haitian Revolution orchestrated coups or revolts that only they could crush for power plays and manipulation).
Furthermore, Bell might be stretching the truth by describing Toussaint as a Vodouisant. He refers to Toussaint's quasi-Vodou references to spirits in his writings, the fact that Toussaint wore a red head-band or headress symbolizing Ogou Feraille, and one white writer (who described Toussaint in racist terms through her father, who worked with the 'Black General') who mentions an incident that might be trance or spirit possession. There is no incontrovertible evidence Toussaint practiced Vodou, although I suppose there is nothing to prove conclusively he did not, either (after all, devout Catholics like Toussaint were and are known to also practice Vodou in Haiti). Regardless, it is pure speculation on the part of the author that Toussaint practiced Vodou, and sought to use both the 'left hand' and 'right hand' to achieve a balance spiritually and politically.
Another flaw was a consistent reductionist model applied to conflicts that emerged between free 'coloreds' and blacks, free 'coloreds' and whites, and whites vs. 'blacks.' For instance, when discussing the conflict between Toussaint Louverture and Rigaud, Bell recognizes that mulattoes served under Toussaint just as blacks fought for Rigaud, yet the fighting is still reduced to a black vs. mulatto/color war. I am not sure if this is a result of an attempt to simplify the vicissitudes of the Haitian Revolution, but it contradicts some of the nuances and social complexities of Saint Dominguan society and the revolutionary period Toussaint Louverture shaped.
Ultimately, Toussaint Louverture's complexity, contradictions, and greater meaning and symbolism for world history can be gleamed from solely a cursory read of this work. Not only full of information and specificity for the various phases of the Haitian Revolution, Bell's biography examines the origin stories for Toussaint Louverture, his experiences as a slave and wealthy free black, the color nuances, conflicts between civil and military leadership in the course of the Haitian Revolution, the role of the slave and ex-slave masses, and the future of racial harmony and an end to racial discrimination, 200 years before its time. Although I have a few quibbles, Toussaint Louverture: A Biography is a worthwhile portrait of the 'Black General' who guaranteed the liberty of Saint Domingue. For more detailed, academic writings on Toussaint Louverture, certainly read anything from Laurent Dubois, Carolyn Fick, and CLR James.
Furthermore, Bell might be stretching the truth by describing Toussaint as a Vodouisant. He refers to Toussaint's quasi-Vodou references to spirits in his writings, the fact that Toussaint wore a red head-band or headress symbolizing Ogou Feraille, and one white writer (who described Toussaint in racist terms through her father, who worked with the 'Black General') who mentions an incident that might be trance or spirit possession. There is no incontrovertible evidence Toussaint practiced Vodou, although I suppose there is nothing to prove conclusively he did not, either (after all, devout Catholics like Toussaint were and are known to also practice Vodou in Haiti). Regardless, it is pure speculation on the part of the author that Toussaint practiced Vodou, and sought to use both the 'left hand' and 'right hand' to achieve a balance spiritually and politically.
Another flaw was a consistent reductionist model applied to conflicts that emerged between free 'coloreds' and blacks, free 'coloreds' and whites, and whites vs. 'blacks.' For instance, when discussing the conflict between Toussaint Louverture and Rigaud, Bell recognizes that mulattoes served under Toussaint just as blacks fought for Rigaud, yet the fighting is still reduced to a black vs. mulatto/color war. I am not sure if this is a result of an attempt to simplify the vicissitudes of the Haitian Revolution, but it contradicts some of the nuances and social complexities of Saint Dominguan society and the revolutionary period Toussaint Louverture shaped.
Ultimately, Toussaint Louverture's complexity, contradictions, and greater meaning and symbolism for world history can be gleamed from solely a cursory read of this work. Not only full of information and specificity for the various phases of the Haitian Revolution, Bell's biography examines the origin stories for Toussaint Louverture, his experiences as a slave and wealthy free black, the color nuances, conflicts between civil and military leadership in the course of the Haitian Revolution, the role of the slave and ex-slave masses, and the future of racial harmony and an end to racial discrimination, 200 years before its time. Although I have a few quibbles, Toussaint Louverture: A Biography is a worthwhile portrait of the 'Black General' who guaranteed the liberty of Saint Domingue. For more detailed, academic writings on Toussaint Louverture, certainly read anything from Laurent Dubois, Carolyn Fick, and CLR James.
No comments:
Post a Comment