1798: Brigadier-General Thomas Maitland signed a “secret convention” with Toussaint Louverture following the evacuation of British troops.

1798: Brigadier-General Thomas Maitland signed a “secret convention” with Toussaint Louverture following the evacuation of British troops. The agreement was negotiated directly with the general rather than the official French agent to protect British international standing. Significance: Consolidated Black military authority and paved the way for de facto autonomy. Nuance: Geggus notes that independence was not yet the declared objective — autonomy within the French imperial framework remained fluid.