1767-Jan.-19: Hélène, a Creole woman from the Pagerfon plantation in Trou, was reported as a runaway and noted for her habit of disguising herself in men’s c…

1767-Jan.-19: Hélène, a Creole woman from the Pagerfon plantation in Trou, was reported as a runaway and noted for her habit of disguising herself in men’s clothing. Branded with “LAPERIERE” and standing five feet four inches tall, she frequently claimed to be free as part of her strategy to evade capture. M. Laperiere of Morne-rouge, who claimed to own her, broadcast her description in the colonial press to alert local patrols and residents. Gender-bending and the appropriation of free status were common tactics used by enslaved women in the complex social landscape of Saint-Domingue.