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| - Diary of Jean-Jacques Dessalines October 3rd, 1791 The Rebellion has been growing stronger and stronger over the previous months. Today 13 slaves escaped from my plantation to join the revolution, I’ve now decided to join them. As we left the plantation grounds and headed to the slave fortifications, I was joined by a few other men named Jean François Papillon and Georges Biassou. This Papillon man, who seems to be a major player in this uprising, is humane and sensible, as opposed to Biassou. This uprising is supposed to be the first of many; we will lead our people to freedom. "May 20, 1743"
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| - Diary of Jean-Jacques Dessalines October 3rd, 1791 The Rebellion has been growing stronger and stronger over the previous months. Today 13 slaves escaped from my plantation to join the revolution, I’ve now decided to join them. As we left the plantation grounds and headed to the slave fortifications, I was joined by a few other men named Jean François Papillon and Georges Biassou. This Papillon man, who seems to be a major player in this uprising, is humane and sensible, as opposed to Biassou. This uprising is supposed to be the first of many; we will lead our people to freedom. Today we stormed a small village fortification. After hours of attempting to gain access to the village, we decided to take a cleaner course for action. I gave the order to burn the village to the ground, there were no survivors. Some said that this was too harsh, but we need to be harsh to get our message across to the whites. I am now instating a take no prisoner’s policy for my men. So far we seem to be winning the struggle; we have captured many fortifications and can hold off the oppressors for a while with what we have now. Today was a day to remember and rejoice. My men and I were able to secure a small fort for a few days when a large group of 18,000 men attacked. My group consisted of about 1,300 men. I knew that the only way to win would be to give my men the motivation that they needed. I gathered my men and placed a powder keg in front of them and waved a lit torch in front of it. I told them that if they failed to hold the fort from the attackers I would blow the fort up as soon as the French should break through. After a twenty day struggle to hold the fort, my men proved their worth. We were not able to hold the fort but we were able to hold off the French army for 20 days and put a large dent in their forces. We escaped into the mountains with much of our army still intact. January 1st, 1804 Today is the day we have all been waiting for. We have won our freedom. Under the new constitution, I am declaring myself Emperor of Saint-Domingue. My first order will be to rename this island to Haiti, an indigenous Arawak name. I am to be crowned on October 6th and then formally recognized by the people, this will also allow me to name my successor. I have a few things I need to tend too soon after. I need to keep the heart and soul of Haiti running though; the sugar crop business needs to still be able to run without slavery, without this Haiti will not be able to survive. After 30 years of forced labor I no longer will put my trust in the white French people. So, as of this day, Haiti is now an all-black nation and I forbid whites from owning property or land here. Diary of Toussaint L'Ouverture "May 20, 1743" Dear Toussaint today you were born into my family as your father my first gift to you is this diary. Let me tell you about yourself, your are born to slave parents on the Breda sugar estate outside of Cap Français, one of the leading cities of the island colony Saint-Domingue. Before I was braught to this country I was a chief of the West African Arada tribe. I do not plan to have my son grow up a slave, no matter where I am I would like you to ive as a free black man. August 30, 1760 As a fifteen year old I am growing up in Saint-Domingue, (present day Haiti) on of france's most prospherous colonies. I live in an economy based on plantations and slaves. Here there are many coffe, sugar, and cotton plantations and my people are slaves to Frances economy, infact we are unable to create our own. There is much resentment between my people and the Royal Government. As a free black man I feel that one day when I'm older it will be my job to take care and free my people. The French Revolution begun and quickly spread to the colonies. On Saint-Domingue, the whites we are divided between those supporting and those opposing the revolution. Free blacks and mulattos also took sides, and fighting began between the different factions. In Saint-Domingue, the fighting centered around the idea of racial equality, which has weakened the control of slave owners. I am exited because it is my chance to help liberate my people. Today some slaves have revolted in Cap Français. The slave revolution in Saint-Domingue has begunand I have decided to join as a doctor. Already I am faced with dieing soildiors and severe injuries. Although part of me is nervous, I am also very exited it is time to pay back my father for his sacrafice. Today I have been named chief lieutenant to slave general Biassou. Together we have allied our forces with the Spanish in Santo Domingo on the eastern side of the island. As war is breaking between France, England and Spain there are new countries trying to take us over. No one really effects us though. Today is a bad day. My goal of saving my people has been overlooked due to my own mistakes and my people frustration, I am going to be exiled to France. Because Napolean decided to have a quick but costly campaign against my people. We are no match to his trained troops and advanced war tactics and weponry, after all we are just slaves. What a shame. Free at last, free at last. We are free from all french and our land has been given the name Haiti to truly break off from the French. I am also unexiled and can come back to my homelands. After the campain ended my people felt they were unfair and pardoned my mistakes. Thanks to our leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines were are successful.
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