Item #3656 The Life and Military Achievements of Tousant Loverture, late general in chief of the armies of St. Domingo, from the year 1792, until the arrival of General Le Clerc (brother in law to Napoleon Buonaparte, First Consul of the French Republic,) with an impartial account of his political conduct during, and subsequent to that period, diversified with a variety of circumstances interesting to the citizens of the United States and West Indians, detailing the actual causes of his imprisonment and death: to which is added, a melancholy and accurate description of the rapacious, tyrannical and inhumane conduct of General Le Clerc, until his death: also his successor Gen. Rochambeau's actions, until the evacuation of that colony, and capture by the British, in the fall of 1803.
The Life and Military Achievements of Tousant Loverture, late general in chief of the armies of St. Domingo, from the year 1792, until the arrival of General Le Clerc (brother in law to Napoleon Buonaparte, First Consul of the French Republic,) with an impartial account of his political conduct during, and subsequent to that period, diversified with a variety of circumstances interesting to the citizens of the United States and West Indians, detailing the actual causes of his imprisonment and death: to which is added, a melancholy and accurate description of the rapacious, tyrannical and inhumane conduct of General Le Clerc, until his death: also his successor Gen. Rochambeau's actions, until the evacuation of that colony, and capture by the British, in the fall of 1803.
The Life and Military Achievements of Tousant Loverture, late general in chief of the armies of St. Domingo, from the year 1792, until the arrival of General Le Clerc (brother in law to Napoleon Buonaparte, First Consul of the French Republic,) with an impartial account of his political conduct during, and subsequent to that period, diversified with a variety of circumstances interesting to the citizens of the United States and West Indians, detailing the actual causes of his imprisonment and death: to which is added, a melancholy and accurate description of the rapacious, tyrannical and inhumane conduct of General Le Clerc, until his death: also his successor Gen. Rochambeau's actions, until the evacuation of that colony, and capture by the British, in the fall of 1803.

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The Life and Military Achievements of Tousant Loverture, late general in chief of the armies of St. Domingo, from the year 1792, until the arrival of General Le Clerc (brother in law to Napoleon Buonaparte, First Consul of the French Republic,) with an impartial account of his political conduct during, and subsequent to that period, diversified with a variety of circumstances interesting to the citizens of the United States and West Indians, detailing the actual causes of his imprisonment and death: to which is added, a melancholy and accurate description of the rapacious, tyrannical and inhumane conduct of General Le Clerc, until his death: also his successor Gen. Rochambeau's actions, until the evacuation of that colony, and capture by the British, in the fall of 1803.

[Philadelphia: Henry Sweitzer, printer], 1804. Small 8vo, recent half brown calf and marbled paper over boards.

First edition of the first biography of Toussaint Louverture published in the United States, appearing just a year after his death.

The anonymous author, likely an American, had at least a slight personal acquaintance with Louverture, feeling indebted to him, as he states, for the kindness he “received from him when twice his prisoner.” His purpose in publishing this biography was two-fold: to bring the admirable character of his subject before the public and to excoriate French injustice. Perhaps fearing the consequences, particularly in the American south, of publishing a wholeheartedly positive account of Toussaint, however, the author hedges his praise of the man with racist overtones and tempers his criticism of the French General Leclerc's appalling actions with excuses about inexperience. Stolidly opposed to hasty emancipation ("I earnestly supplicate that my Maker will be bountifully disposed to allot my residence for the short period I may have to live, where liberty and equality according to their too general acceptation, do not prevail") he distances himself from any motivation in publishing this account other than "a desire to manifest my gratitude to the person whose trait of character I have experienced many reasons to admire" and "to testify to mankind the principal events of the life and exploits of an African, whose virtues, now alas! he is no more, will exhibit him as a Christian and genuine friend of us possessing a different complexion."

"This anonymous account of Toussaint was written as much as anti-French propaganda as it was to praise and justify the Negro general. The villainy and inhumanity of the French are the main themes" (Library Company, Negro History, 66). The place of publication and printer cited above in brackets are taken from the Negro History catalog.

This biography was preceded by Louis Dubroca’s La Vie de Toussaint-louverture, Chef des Noires Insurgés de Saint-Domingue (Paris, 1802).

With period ownership inscriptions on verso of title page (bleeding through to title page) and dedication page, reading “Archibald Chauvres his hand and pen he will bee good but god nose when,” etc., dated 24 March 1813.

REFERENCES: Shaw, R.R. American Bibliography, 6652; Shaw, R.R. American Bibliography, 6653; Library Company of Philadelphia. Afro-Americana, 1553-1906 (2nd ed.), 5908; Bissainthe, M. Dictionnaire de Bibliographie Haïtienne, 6688

CONDITION: Good, approx. quarter-size brown stain at center of six leaves, with small crack in one such stain, occasional foxing.

Item #3656

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