Toussaint L’Ouverture led a slave uprising in the French colony of Saint Domingue on the western part of the island of Hispaniola. E. Napp

The island of Hispaniola contains the present-day countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. E. Napp

The sugar plantations in Saint Domingue provided France with great wealth. E. Napp

Slaves were brought from Africa to work on the plantations Slaves were brought from Africa to work on the plantations. African slaves outnumbered the French colonists. E. Napp

The colonists lived comfortably while they worked the slaves to exhaustion. E. Napp

As the slaves’ anger at their harsh treatment built up, some began to look for opportunities to revolt. E. Napp

When the slaves heard of the French Revolution, they felt that the French government would be too busy dealing with the turmoil in France to send help across the sea. E. Napp

In 1791, Toussaint L’Ouverture, a freed slave, led an uprising against the colonists. E. Napp

He and his followers defeated the colonial army He and his followers defeated the colonial army. Toussaint L’Ouverture remained in control until Napoleon sent an army to retake the island in 1802. E. Napp

As Toussaint resisted this attack, he was captured and put in prison, where he died in 1803. E. Napp

Toussaint’s successor, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, was able to drive the French off. E. Napp

A great many of the French soldiers had come down with yellow fever and died. Saint Domingue became independent from France in 1804, when it was renamed Haiti. E. Napp