1802 (The Defense of Toussaint Louverture): Christophe countered the French characterization of Toussaint Louverture as an “usurper” or “rebel” by highlighti…
1802 (The Defense of Toussaint Louverture): Christophe countered the French characterization of Toussaint Louverture as an “usurper” or “rebel” by highlighting Louverture’s long and recognized service to the French Republic. He argued that the governor had maintained order and prosperity in the colony and that the sudden arrival of an invading fleet was an unjust response to such loyalty. Christophe questioned how the French could claim to bring liberty while simultaneously detaining Haytian officers and threatening the population with force. He maintained that the true rebels were those who sought to overturn the established legal order of the colony by violence. This defense framed the Haytian resistance as a struggle for legal consistency and the protection of recognized rights.