Haiti (P 245a) banknote 1 Gourde (1987) - UNC

François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803) was a key figure in the struggle for Haitian independence and the abolition of slavery. Born a slave in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, now Haiti, he went on to become the leader of one of the most important revolutions in history. Louverture was a courageous strategist and charismatic leader who managed to unite a rebel force of mostly former slaves against French, Spanish and British troops.

His success in fighting the colonizers in addition to the adoption of a constitution that declared the abolition of slavery and the autonomy of Haiti under French rule. Louverture, however, encountered resistance from Napoleon Bonaparte, who sought to restore French control over the colony. In 1802, Louverture was betrayed, captured, and deported to France, where he died in prison. Yet his efforts laid the groundwork for Haiti's full independence, which the country gained in 1804, and he became a symbol of resistance to oppression and the struggle for freedom for all oppressed peoples.