Historical context
The Haitian Revolution began in 1791, when a slave uprising broke out in the French colony of Saint-Domingue. Led by iconic figures such as Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henri Christophe, this rebellion was inspired by the ideals of freedom and equality of the French Revolution. However, unlike the revolution in France, the struggle in Haïti aimed not only to overthrow colonial authority, but also to abolish slavery and establish a free and egalitarian society.