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Primary sourceDocument1801

Constitution républicaine des colonies française de Saint-Domaingue

Toussaint Louverture · 1801

The 1801 constitution Toussaint Louverture promulgated for Saint-Domingue, abolishing slavery forever and naming him Governor-General for life.

Toussaint promulgated this constitution, abolishing slavery and naming himself Governor-General for life.

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Book cover in green, pink, red, blue, black and orange marbled paper with a black spine on the left. A white label at top left shows handwritten call numbers 'Lk 554' and 'g°'. Text at bottom reads 'Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France'.
Constitution républicaine des colonies française de Saint-Domaingue, 1801. Bibliothèque nationale de France.

About this source

What it is

This is a printed constitution for the French colony of Saint-Domingue, issued in 1801 under the authority of Toussaint Louverture. The surviving copy is held by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Why it matters

The constitution declared that slavery would never be permitted again on the island and that all men, whatever their colour, could hold any office. By naming himself Governor-General for life while still claiming loyalty to France, Toussaint directly challenged Napoleon Bonaparte's authority over the colony, helping provoke the French invasion that followed.

Look closer

  • Why might Toussaint have insisted the colony remained part of the French empire while governing it with its own laws?
  • What does the wording about equality and freedom tell you about what Toussaint wanted Saint-Domingue to become?
  • Why would this document have alarmed Napoleon?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Toussaint Louverture on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of a book, a scan of a yellowed printed page reading 'Mémoires du Général Toussaint-L'Ouverture, écrits par lui-même', with a publisher's ornament and 'Paris, Pagnerre, Libraire-Éditeur, 1853' at the bottom. The book is attributed to Saint-Remy, not handwritten manuscript.Book

Primary source

Mémoires du Général Toussaint-L'Ouverture écrits par lui-même

Toussaint Louverture · 1853 (text written 1802)

Painted portrait of a man in a dark-blue and red military uniform with gold epaulettes, a white sash with gold stars, and white trousers. He holds a folded paper in his right hand and stands before a stormy blue sky and dark mountains, with a sword hilt visible at his left side.Painting

Secondary source

Général Toussaint Louverture

19th century

Sepia-toned engraving of a standing man in a black top hat with a tall plume, a dark military-style coat with chevron-patterned sleeves, and a sash at the waist. He holds a folded paper in one hand and a curved sabre in the other. Behind him are a fortified hillside, a small building on top, palm trees, and a second figure in uniform with a plumed hat.Painting

Secondary source

19th century engraving of L'Ouverture

J. Barlow, after a sketch by Marcus Rainsford · 19th century

Sepia engraving of a scene in a tropical landscape: a tall officer in a plumed hat and uniform stands center, receiving a letter from a man in a long coat at right, while a woman in a long dress, children, and other figures gather around, with palm fronds and trees behind.Painting

Secondary source

Toussaint Louverture reçoit une lettre du Premier Consul

Charles Monnet · 1802

Handwritten manuscript page in French headed 'Extrait des Nouvelles Officielles, du Journal du Soir, Courrier de la République française', dated 'Du Cap-Français, le 5 frimaire', with the heading 'Au Nom de la Colonie Française de Saint-Domingue, Toussaint Louverture, Gouverneur de Saint-Domingue'. The text begins 'Depuis la révolution'.Document

Primary source

Acte écrit de Toussaint Louverture contre l'insurrection de 1801

Toussaint Louverture · 1801

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