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Tertiary sourceDocument1911

Toussaint l'Ouverture, Pierre-Dominique

1911

A 1911 encyclopedia entry summarizing Toussaint Louverture's life, rise and role in the liberation of Haiti.

This tertiary encyclopedia entry summarizes Louverture's life and lists earlier biographies written about him.

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Source: Wikisource

About this source

What it is

This is an entry on Toussaint L'Ouverture from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica, a reference work published decades after his death. It summarizes his background, rise to leadership, and includes a list of earlier biographies.

Why it matters

As a tertiary reference source, this entry reflects how Louverture was remembered and described by early 20th-century encyclopedists, drawing on earlier biographies by writers such as Gragnon-Laconte, Schoelcher and J. R. Beard. It shows how his story was transmitted and shaped for later readers, sometimes repeating claims (like his supposed descent from an African chief) without modern verification.

Look closer

  • What details does the entry present as fact that might actually be legend or uncertain?
  • Why might an encyclopedia from 1911 describe Louverture differently than a modern history book would?
  • What does the list of earlier biographies tell you about how popular Louverture's story already was by 1911?

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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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'.Document

Primary source

Constitution républicaine des colonies française de Saint-Domaingue

Toussaint Louverture · 1801

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

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