20 Toussaint Louverture Quotes To Help You Ace Your School Project
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Toussaint Louverture is a famous Haitian general and political leader.
Toussaint Louverture achievements are extremely inspirational. Additionally, Toussaint Louverture facts are extremely interesting too as they can be applied to life.
The best-known leader of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) was Toussaint Louverture. Family-wise he was extremely poor and was born a black slave in the French colony of Saint Domingue.
His early life was spent in slavery from which he attained liberty in 1776. He then gradually rose to become a prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution from 1891, before his death in 1803 in the hands of the French. He was married and had three sons, among whom one was Saint-Jean Louverture.
Today, one of the most well-known figures in the history of Haiti is Toussaint Louverture. At the forefront of the Haitian Revolution which finally led to the establishment of the sovereign state of Haiti in 1804 was Toussaint Louverture.
The significance of such a leader is immense and his numerous and deep quotes might just be the ones that you need to read in order to pull off your school projects with elan!
The Haitian Revolution was among the first of such movements that were led by Black slaves to attain liberation from the French colonial rule. This was succeeded by the foundation of Haiti as a sovereign nation-state in 1804, which had deep political implications for the rest of the world.
While facts about Toussaint Louverture, Toussaint Louverture significance, Toussaint Louverture biography, Toussaint Louverture accomplishments and even Toussaint Louverture early life are well documented, it'd be a good time to go back over some of the quotes from the selected works of Toussaint Louverture and Toussaint Louverture speech.
For more related quotes, check out Jean Jacques Rousseau quotes and revolution quotes.
Revolution Quotes
Let us look at some of the thoughts on revolution found in the speeches of Haiti's best-known leader that make for a great addition on Louverture quotes.
1. "We are black, it is true, but tell us, gentlemen, you who are so judicious, what is the law that says that the black man must belong to and be the property of the white man?"
- Toussaint Louverture, Letter to General Assembly, 1892.
2. "This gun is liberty; hold for certain that the day when you no more have it, you will be returned to slavery."
- Toussaint Louverture.
Quotes Against Slavery
Among his deep and numerous sayings, let us take a look at those against slavery, an institution he fought against his entire life.
3. "I was born a slave, but nature gave me the soul of a free man..."
- Toussaint Louverture.
4. "For too long we have borne your chains without thinking of shaking them off, but any authority which is not founded on virtue and humanity, and which only tends to subject one's fellow man to slavery, must come to an end, and that end is yours."
- Letter to the General Assembly.
5. "God, who knows our most secret thoughts and who sees all, is witness to the purity of my principles. They are not founded on this barbarous ferocity that takes pleasure in shedding human blood."
- Toussaint Louverture.
6. "It is not a liberty of circumstance, conceded to us alone, that we wish; it is the adoption absolute of the principle that no man, born red, black or white, can be the property of his fellow man."
- Toussaint Louverture.
7. "We are free today because we are the stronger, we will be slaves again when the government becomes stronger."
- Toussaint Louverture.
Inspirational Quotes
Let's look at some of the most inspirational Haitian Revolution quotes delivered by the best-known leader of Haiti. A tremendously inspiring figure, the man whose name translates to 'all saints' is worshipped by many.
8. "Avoid sloth, the mother of all vices!"
- Toussaint Louverture.
9. "They have in me struck down but the trunk of the tree; the roots are many and deep - they will shoot up again!"
- Toussaint Louverture.
10. "Idleness is the source of all disorders, and if it is at all tolerated, I shall hold the military commanders responsible, persuaded that those who tolerate idleness and vagabonds are secret enemies of the government."
- Toussaint Louverture.
11. "[Let us overcome] the barriers that separate nations, and unite the human species into a single brotherhood. We seek only to bring to men the liberty that [God] has given them, and that other men have taken from hem only by transgressing His immutable will."
- Toussaint Louverture.
12. "At the beginning of the troubles of Saint Domingo, I felt that I was destined to great things. When I received this divine intimation, I was four and fifty years of age; I could neither read nor write."
- Toussaint Louverture.
13. "Whatever defamation of character my enemies are spreading about me, I do not feel the need to justify myself toward them. While discretion obliges me to remain silent, my duty compels me to prevent them from doing any more harm."
- Toussaint Louverture.
Liberty Quotes
One of the biggest achievements of the Haitian Revolution was the liberation of the slaves. Let us go through some quotes of the leader of the Haitian revolution on liberty.
14. "We have known how to face dangers to obtain our liberty, we shall know how to brave death to maintain it."
- Toussaint Louverture.
15. "I have undertaken vengeance. I want Liberty and Equality to reign in Saint-Domingue. I work to bring them into existence. Unite yourselves to us, brothers, and fight with us for the same cause. "
- Toussaint Louverture.
16. "It is easy to cut down the tree of liberty, but not so easy to restore it to life."
- Toussaint Louverture.
Human Rights Quotes
Louverture was vocal about the rights of black slaves all throughout his life. Let us have a look at what he had said.
17. "In overthrowing me, you have done no more than cut down the trunk of the tree of the black liberty in St-Domingue-it will spring back from the roots, for they are numerous and deep."
- Toussaint Louverture.
18. "The revolution of Saint Domingo was taking its course. I saw that the whites could not endure, because they were divided and because they were overpowered by numbers; I congratulated myself that I was a black man."
- Toussaint Louverture.
19. "Under the blows of your barbarous whip we have accumulated for you the treasures you enjoy in this colony; the human race has suffered to see with what barbarity you have treated men like yourself..."
- Letter to General Assembly, 1792.
Battle Quotes
This what the best known political leader of Haiti (erstwhile Saint Domingue) had to say about battles.
20. "Tear up the roads with shot; throw corpses and horses into all the fountains; burn and annihilate everything, in order that those who have come to reduce us to slavery may have before their eyes the image of hell which they deserve."
- Letter to Dessalines, 1802.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Toussaint Louverture quotes then why not take a look at Napoleon Bonaparte quotes, or Charles de Gaulle quotes.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
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