Here is an annotated; scholarly; multilingual edition of the only lengthy text personally written by Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture: the memoirs he wrote shortly before his death in the French prison of Fort de Joux. The translation is based on an original copy in Louverture's hand never before published.Historian Philippe Girard begins with an introductory essay that retraces Louverture's career as a slave; rebel; and governor. Girard provides a detailed narrative of the last year of Louverture's life; and analyzes the significance of the memoirs and letters from a historical and linguistic perspective. The book includes a full transcript; in the original French; of Louverture's handwritten memoirs. The English translation appears side by side with the original. The memoirs contain idiosyncrasies and stylistic variations of interest to linguists. Scholarly interest in the Haitian Revolution and the life of Toussaint Louverture has increased over the past decade. Louverture is arguably the most notable man of African descent in history; and the Haitian Revolution was the most radical of the three great revolutions of its time. Haiti's proud revolutionary past and its more recent upheavals indicate that interest in Haiti's history goes far beyond academia; many regard Louverture as a personal hero. Despite this interest; there is a lack of accessible primary sources on Toussaint Louverture. An edited translation of Louverture's memoirs makes his writings accessible to a larger public. Louverture's memoirs provide a vivid alternative perspective to anonymous plantation records; quantitative analyses of slave trading ventures; or slave narratives mediated by white authors. Louverture kept a stoic façade and rarely expressed his innermost thoughts and fears in writing; but his memoirs are unusually emotional. Louverture questioned whether he was targeted due to the color of his skin; bringing racism an issue that Louverture rarely addressed head on with his white interlocutors; to the fore.
#322341 in Books Ingramcontent 2017-06-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.30 x .80 x 9.40l; #File Name: 0199916861288 pagesThe Martyr and the Traitor Nathan Hale Moses Dunbar and the American Revolution
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Top historyBy Bertvery detailed review of the areas happening0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. likeBy Sara S. Housemy Grandfather loved it4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Treason and Loyalty: Who Decides?By Helen MajzlerHow is it that two young Connecticut men of comparable age and economic means ended up on different sides of the Revolutionary War? And; for their choices; they both faced similar fates? Reading these parallel stories was both fascinating and engaging. I am not a historian but I learned so much about the conditions of ordinary citizens before the onset of this first great war in America. It was hard not to appreciate and admire the sacrifices of both men who made their personal decisions to side with either the English or Colonial sides of the war out of sincere moral convictions.As a mother of two sons; I could appreciate that Nathan Hale was prompted (or perhaps pressured) by his Yale peers to become a spy and wanted them to admire and respect him for his bold and daring military actions. And; I loved that Moses Dunbar was faithful to the tenets of his Anglican faith and should have been labeled a martyr; not a traitor; as well for his courage and integrity. The human drama in both stories captivated me as a reader. Neither man was particularly political at the outset of the war but got thrown into the conflict by actions and decisions of others within their local communities. Like so many men on the brink of war; they were swept up in the fears and hysteria that England would end colonial independence as they knew it.The book was packed with new learning for me and often I was able to clear up some misunderstandings I had about some aspects of the Revolutionary War. For instance; I had always thought of the Minute Men as noble and compassionate patriots. Some were but others were genuinely ruthless when they dealt with community members who opposed them. (I even came to see them as vicious at the KKK.) Another misconception had to do with the notion that; at the start of the Revolutionary War; every red-blooded colonist would naturally side with the American cause. I didn't appreciate how many colonists supported the King of England and all that the monarchy stood for.I had wished to learn more about the wives; mothers; and other significant women who shared their lives with both Hale and Dunbar. Regrettably there is so little historical information about the supporting role of women in this era. Still; the author does a great job in helping us understand how women fit into these stories.The book reads easily with stories; background information; geographical landmarks; and a wonderful Post Mortem section. You probably can tell that I enjoyed the book and would heartily recommend it to all regardless of one's expertise in American history. The human stories shine through and are so engaging.
