1830s (approx.): The African American painter Jacob Lawrence created a celebrated series of forty-one paintings titled “Toussaint L’Ouverture” to depict the …

1830s (approx.): The African American painter Jacob Lawrence created a celebrated series of forty-one paintings titled “Toussaint L’Ouverture” to depict the world-historical events of the Haitian Revolution. His work highlighted the defeat of Napoleon’s efforts to restore slavery by force in St.-Domingue between 1802 and 1803. Lawrence focused on the agency of ordinary men, women, and children of African descent who took up arms to preserve their freedom against European military intervention. This artistic narrative serves as a powerful historical record of the most successful slave revolt in history and its lasting impact on the Atlantic world.