CJ Ashmore
2C HOA
OPVL – Letter from Toussaint
Origin:
The document is a letter, which is a primary source, written by Toussaint Louverture to General Dessalines, who was the commander-in-chief of the army of the west. Both men were men of war under similar ideology about Haiti, freedom, and equality. As both were leaders in the Haitian Revolution, they are both qualified eyewitnesses to the accounts that they describe. The letter was written on February 8, 1802 during the Haitian Revolution. It was written in the context of General Dessalines going to remove the French troop’s resources offered to them by Port Republican in order to drive the French off. This limits the view of the source but provides more value as it explains Louverture’s perspective. …show more content…
The document was printed in the New York Evening Post on July 15, 1805. It was then later transcribed on April 4, 1999 by Bob Corbett. It was not translated by Bob because it was printed in English in 1805. The original translator is unknown but it is guessed that it was translated by Henri Christophe as he was heavily involved in publication. The document was originally written on May 20, 1805 by Toussaint Louverture in order to set up a system of government for Haiti. Toussaint played a major political and leader role in the Haitian Revolution as he was a commander of armies as well as a politician who worked to reform Haiti. Additionally, it is noted that the entire island of Hispaniola was under Haiti rule at the time and any islands mentioned are now a part of the Dominican Republic.
Purpose:
The Constitution of Haiti was written with the intent of creating a system of government and order for an independent Haiti. It was written with the audience of the sanction of H.M. the Emperor Jacques Dessalines in mind so that Dessalines could quickly execute it. However, this limits the effectiveness towards other people as the document’s view is limited.