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Primary sourceLetter1800

Saint-Marc Municipal Administration Letter to the Minister of Marine

Administration municipale de Saint-Marc · 1800

A 1800 letter from the municipal administration of Saint-Marc to the French Minister of Marine and Colonies, written during Toussaint Louverture's rule of Saint-Domingue.

A contemporary municipal letter written during Toussaint Louverture's governance of Saint-Domingue.

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Saint-Marc Municipal Administration Letter to the Minister of MarinePDF · 44 pages
L'administration municipale de Saint-Marc, letter to the Minister of Marine and Colonies, 1800.

About this source

What it is

This is a printed pamphlet of letters and addresses from the municipal administration of Saint-Marc, dated 1800 (year eight of the French Republican calendar). It includes a letter to the citizen Minister of Marine and Colonies, along with extracts from municipal registers of Port-Républicain and an address from citizens of a canton named after Louverture.

Why it matters

At this time, Toussaint Louverture governed Saint-Domingue, and local administrations like Saint-Marc's communicated directly with officials in France about the colony's situation. The letter speaks of the people of Saint-Domingue knowing only the "disastrous furies" of revolution, showing how turbulent and uncertain life was under his rule. One canton is even named "Louverture," showing his influence reached into local government and naming.

Look closer

  • Who wrote this letter, and why might they be writing to a government minister far away in France?
  • What does the naming of a canton after Louverture tell you about his authority at this time?
  • What might this letter leave out about daily life in Saint-Domingue?

This letter 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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Général Toussaint Louverture

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19th century engraving of L'Ouverture

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