1794, February 3–4: On these dates, a landmark delegation from Saint-Domingue: (modern-day Haiti) arrived at the French National Convention in Paris to forma…

1794, February 3–4: On these dates, a landmark delegation from Saint-Domingue: (modern-day Haiti) arrived at the French National Convention in Paris to formally demand the abolition of slavery. Their presence and testimony directly precipitated the decree of February 4, 1794, which ended slavery throughout the French Republic. The delegation was intentionally composed of three men representing the racial tri-unity of the colonies—Black, mixed-race, and white—standing together as citizens of the Republic: Jean-Baptiste Belley (Black): A formerly enslaved man who had purchased his freedom through military service. Belley was a seasoned soldier, having fought in the American Revolutionary War at the Siege of Savannah. As the primary Black deputy, he became the living symbol of the Revolution’s promise of universal liberty. Jean-Baptiste Mills (Mixed-Race): A prominent “man of color” (mulâtre) and revolutionary organizer. Mills represented the interests of the free people of color in Saint-Domingue who had long fought for political equality with white colonists before joining the broader struggle for total abolition. Louis-Pierre Dufaÿ (White): Though not a person of color, Dufaÿ was the third member of this specific “tripartite” delegation. His testimony to the Convention on the horrors of the colonial system and the loyalty of the Black population to the Republic was instrumental in swaying the assembly to vote for immediate emancipation. Historical Significance: The sight of Belley and Mills taking their seats on the benches of the National Convention was unprecedented in European history. Their arrival on February 3 and their seating on February 4 marked the first time that men of African descent sat as equal legislators in a national European assembly, effectively ending the legal “distinction of color” in the eyes of the French Republic. (Archives parlementaires de 1787 à 1860, Tome LXXXIV (84), Séance du 15 pluviôse an II (3 février 1794). “Le président annonce que trois députés de Saint-Domingue demandent à être admis… Belley, noir; Mills, mulâtre; Dufaÿ, blanc. Ils sont introduits au milieu des plus vifs applaudissements.”