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Here is a picture of Haitian President Michel Martelly on October 29, 2014 as he stands in front od the statue of Toussaint Louverture in Fort de Joux in France in Honor of this great Haitian hero, known internationally

Toussaint Louverture was a self educated person and a former slave who rose to become the leader of the only successful slave uprising in modern history. He joined the slave insurgency and quickly with efficiency became the military secretary to Georges Biassou, one of the insurgency's leaders. When his leaderships allied itself with Spain against France, he followed. In 1794, when Spain and Britain threatened France to take control of the island, the French acted to preserve its colonial rule and to gain the loyalty of the black population, granted citizenships, rights and freedom to all blacks within the empire. L'Ouverture allied with France against Spain during 1794 to 1802, and became a dominant political and military leader in the French colony. By 1801, he ruled Saint Dominque as an independent state. He drafted a constitution emphasizing the abolition of slavery and appointed himself governor for "the rest of his glorious life. In 1802, Napoleon organized a large military expedition and dispatched his brother-in-law, Charles Leclerc, to capture L'Ouverture and return the island to slavery under French control. Toussaint was captured and was shipped to Fort de Joux for imprisonment. It was there where he died of pneumonia in a solitary cell on April 7, 1803. On Saturday, November 1, 2014, President Martelly paid tribute to this great to the independence hero, at Fort de Joux and at the initiative of the French authorities, he was invited to 'meditate' to the dungeon of Fort de Joux, where Toussaint Louverture died.

Read more about michel martelly, france, toussaint louverture, Fort de Joux, History

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