Toussaint L'Ouverture was born in 1743 in Saint Domingue on a plantation in Cap-Haïtien. He was quite prodigious as a child: instead of working as a slave in the fields and toiling under the scorching sun, he began his slave existence as a shepherd. He later became a coach driver and waiter for his owner. Eventually, his owner saw such promise in him that he appointed L'Ouverture as overseer of the other slaves working in the camp. During his tenure, being a high-level slave, he was given access to the plantation's library. It was in that library that L'Ouverture's godfather taught him to read and write, and the seeds of his future were sown. Around 1791, good fortune struck L'Ouverture, as his owner granted him freedom from the tight shackles of slavery. . Soon after his emancipation, he rented a small coffee plantation and acquired a dozen slaves. However, although he had indeed gained freedom, he was still one of 50,000 free blacks and mulattoes who continued to be overwhelmed by society's dominant white males. Meanwhile, the mulattoes of Saint Domingue sought seats in the National Assembly, France's legislative body. at the moment. When they were repelled, they rebelled, with Vincent Ogé at the helm. However, Ogé's time did not last and he was later defeated and executed. With Ogé's death, a void was left in the leadership. Then, seeing emptiness, L'Ouverture joined the revolution as a doctor and petty commander. L'Ouverture soon earned a reputation for his orderly government and training of soldiers in both guerrilla tactics and European shoulder-to-shoulder combat. What resulted from L'Ouverture's involvement was a chain of events that would have a major impact on the French Revolution... middle of paper... saw an improvement in living conditions. Furthermore, schools, bridges and roads were built and foreign trade grew as a result. The methods were indeed questionable, but in the end his promises were kept. Like those of many historical figures, Toussaint L'Ouverture's legacy is a complex mix of positives and negatives. On the other hand, it could be argued that L'Ouverture was a tyrannical and dictatorial type who appointed himself governor general for life and who forced citizens into forced labor. However, he also encouraged slaves to fight for their freedom, emancipated them in the national constitution, and contributed to Haiti's economic progress. Ultimately, Toussaint L'Ouverture has the hero's legacy, albeit imperfect, as he was the driving force behind the slaves during the French Revolution and ultimately also the driving force of Haiti..