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

What it is

This is the title page of an 1853 printed book presenting the memoir Toussaint Louverture wrote while imprisoned at Fort de Joux in 1802. The published volume is credited to Saint-Remy, who prepared it for print, rather than appearing as Toussaint's original handwritten manuscript.

Why it matters

Toussaint wrote this account to defend his actions to Bonaparte after being seized and deported to France. It is his own final statement about his career, written at the end of his life, and shows how he wanted his actions as a leader to be remembered and judged.

Look closer

• Why might Toussaint have wanted to explain himself directly to Napoleon rather than remain silent?
• Because this is a printed edition prepared decades later by an editor, what questions should you ask about how faithfully it reflects his original words?
• What does the act of writing memoirs from prison tell you about Toussaint's situation at the end of his life?