Haiti proclaimed its independence from France on January 1, 1804, becoming the second republic in the Americas after the United States. Led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, formerly an enslaved person who rose to become a revolutionary leader, the Haitian people had fought a long and brutal war against the French colonial power, which had sought to maintain control over the colony and its lucrative sugar industry. The Haitian revolution was a major turning point in history, inspiring other movements for independence in the region and throughout the world. Haiti's independence was a significant step towards dismantling oppressive colonial systems and promoting freedom and equality.