1. Slave Revolt: In 1791, a massive slave revolt broke out in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), led by Toussaint Louverture, a former slave and a charismatic leader. The rebellion was fueled by the harsh treatment and exploitation of enslaved individuals on sugar plantations.
2. French Response: The French initially sent troops to suppress the rebellion, but the conflict escalated into a full-fledged war between the enslaved population and the French colonial forces.
3. Toussaint Louverture's Leadership: Toussaint Louverture emerged as a skilled military leader and strategist, leading the slave army to several victories against the French. He established a government in Saint-Domingue and issued a constitution in 1801, abolishing slavery and granting freedom to all individuals.
4. French Expeditions: In response to the growing power of the revolutionaries in Saint-Domingue, Napoleon Bonaparte sent two massive military expeditions to the island in 1802 and 1803, aiming to restore French control.
5. Jean-Jacques Dessalines: After Toussaint Louverture's capture by the French and his subsequent death in prison, Jean-Jacques Dessalines rose to prominence as the new leader of the Haitian revolution. Dessalines continued the fight against the French forces, eventually leading to their defeat at the Battle of Vertières in 1803.
6. Independence Declaration: Following the decisive victory at Vertières, Dessalines and other Haitian leaders gathered on January 1, 1804, in Gonaïves. There, they signed the General Declaration of Independence, officially proclaiming the independence of Saint-Domingue from France. They renamed the country "Haiti," becoming the second independent nation in the Americas after the United States.
The General Declaration of Independence of Haiti was a watershed moment in the country's history, symbolizing the triumph of freedom and self-determination over colonial rule. It set the stage for Haiti to forge its own destiny as a sovereign nation.