The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo revolution - C.L.R. James

Painting by January Suchodolski of Haitian Revolution
Painting by January Suchodolski, depicting a struggle between Polish troops in French service and the Haitian rebels

This powerful, intensely dramatic book is the definitive account of the Haitian Revolution of 1794-1803, a revolution that began in the wake of the Bastille but became the model for the Third World liberation movements from Africa to Cuba.

Author
Submitted by Tyrion on September 13, 2013

It is the story of the French colony of San Domingo, a place where the brutality of master toward slave was commonplace and ingeniously refined. And it is the story of a barely literate slave named Toussaint L'Ouverture, who led the black people of San Domingo in a successful struggle against successive invasions by overwhelming French, Spanish, and English forces and in the process helped form the first independent nation in the Caribbean.

Comments

Sike

8 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Sike on January 22, 2016

Excellent Read, one of my all time favorites.

I especially liked how James notes how several times the "insurgent masses" among the liberated slaves, many of whom were from Africa, often saved the day and forced the revolution to remain on track through guerrilla warfare when the more bourgeoise minded revolutionary leaders such as Toussaint were at times ready to capitulate to the slavers in exchange for guarantees of amnesty for themselves.

WithDefiance

6 years 5 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by WithDefiance on May 28, 2018

It would be nice if you would actually give some arguments with that. Curious.

Mike Harman

4 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Mike Harman on October 7, 2020

WithDefiance

It would be nice if you would actually give some arguments with that. Curious.

It's the content of much of the book.