THE FIRST REPUBLIC OF FREE BLACK PEOPLE
Discovered by Columbus in 1492，the island，or at least the western part of it now known as Haiti，was the scene of some of the most advanced political developments in the Western world in the late eighteenth century．From 1763 to 1791 the island had its Golden Age．As its richest colony, the island contributed more than 40％ to the economy of France．Its success rested on the labour of half a million slaves．
In 1772，slavery was abolished in England，which started a large public opinion movement．The news soon spread the world over and gave slaves in many countries hope．On the 14th of July, 1789，the citizens of Paris started the French Revolution, but the slaves in the French colonies were disappointed that slavery was not abolished．Coloured people were also angry, because they were not recognised as full citizens．They were still subject to a number of discriminating laws regarding choice of jobs，dress，and where they could sit in public places．So despite the French Revolution，they were not given the same rights as white people．
On 22 of August 1791 a revolution broke out among the slaves and lower classes．Hundreds of miles of fields and crops went up in flames．The event is known as the“Night of Fire”．
In order to continue the revolution，the slaves needed a leader．Toussaint L’Ouverture grew up as a slave．As Toussaint proved to be very intelligent，his owner, who was a good man，gave him the opportunity to learn to read and study, and in the end made him a free man．At the time of the Night of Fire，Toussaint was already 48 years old and he had a good life．He did not take part in the revolution．Instead，he saved the family of his former owner and helped them to leave the country．After that，he joined the slaves in their struggle for freedom，and soon became
their leader．
On April 4，1792，the French government in Pads signed a law giving all people of colour and all free black people the same political fights as the white people in France．Toussaint quickly recognized that the new law did not improve the situation of the slaves．So he decided to continue the fight for the rights of the black slaves．
WithToussaint as their leader, the black army defeated both the Spanish and the French armies．In 1801 they created an independent republic with Toussaint as their first president．The new society was different from the old．Black people were no longer slaves，but became free workers，who worked normal hours and were paid for all labour．Men who had once been slaves now held the highest positions in the country．The revolution had created a new, proud and confident race of men．
Toussaint proved not only to be a great freedom fighter and soldier, but also a great statesman．He built up the state and the country, repairing roads，opening schools and restoring agriculture all over the island．He even built a monument to remember that slavery Was abolished． |