Editing Toussaint Louverture (section)

===Alliance with the French: 1794–1796===
[[File:Toussaint louverture2.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Louverture surveying his troops]]
The timing of and motivation behind Louverture's volte-face against Spain remains debated among historians. [[C. L. R. James]] claimed that upon learning of the emancipation decree in May 1794, Louverture decided to join the French in June.<ref>James, ''The Black Jacobins'', pp. 143–144.</ref> It is argued by [[Beaubrun Ardouin]] that Toussaint was indifferent toward black freedom, concerned primarily for his own safety and resentful over his treatment by the Spanish{{snd}}leading him to officially join the French on 4 May 1794 when he raised the republican flag over Gonaïves.<ref>Beaubrun Ardouin, ''Études sur l'Histoire d'Haïti.'' Port-au-PrinceL Dalencour, 1958, pp. 2:86–93.</ref> Thomas Ott sees Louverture as "both a power-seeker and sincere abolitionist" who was working with Laveaux since January 1794 and switched sides on 6 May.<ref>Thomas Ott, ''The Haitian Revolution, 1789–1804''. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1973, pp. 82–83.</ref>

Louverture claimed to have switched sides after emancipation was proclaimed and the commissioners Sonthonax and Polverel had returned to France in June 1794. However, a letter from Toussaint to General Laveaux confirms that he was already fighting officially on the behalf of the French by 18 May 1794.<ref>Geggus (ed.), ''Haitian Revolutionary Studies'', pp. 120–122.</ref>

In the first weeks, Louverture eradicated all Spanish supporters from the ''Cordon de l'Ouest'', which he had held on their behalf.<ref>[[#Bell|Bell (2008) [2007]]], pp. 104–108.</ref> He faced attack from multiple sides. His former colleagues in the slave rebellion were now fighting against him for the Spanish. As a French commander, he was faced with [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] troops who had landed on Saint-Domingue in September, as the British hoped to take advantage of the ongoing instability to capture the prosperous island.<ref>[[#Bell|Bell (2008) [2007]]], p. 109.</ref> [[Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville]], who was [[Secretary of State for War]] for British prime minister [[William Pitt the Younger]], instructed Sir Adam Williamson, the lieutenant-governor of Jamaica, to sign an agreement with representatives of the French colonists that promised to restore the [[ancien regime]], slavery and discrimination against mixed-race colonists, a move that drew criticism from abolitionists [[William Wilberforce]] and [[Thomas Clarkson]].<ref>C. L. R. James, ''Black Jacobins'' (London: Penguin, 1938), p. 109.</ref><ref>David Geggus, ''Slavery, War and Revolution: The British Occupation of Saint Domingue, 1793–1798'' (New York: Clarendon Press, 1982).</ref>

On the other hand, Louverture was able to pool his 4,000 men with Laveaux's troops in joint actions.<ref>James, p. 143</ref> By now his officers included men who were to remain important throughout the revolution: his brother Paul, his nephew [[Moyse Louveture|Moïse Hyacinthe]], [[Jean-Jacques Dessalines]], and [[Henri Christophe]].<ref>James, p. 147.</ref>

Before long, Louverture had put an end to the Spanish threat to French Saint-Domingue. In any case, the [[Peace of Basel|Treaty of Basel]] of July 1795 marked a formal end to hostilities between the two countries. Black leaders [[Jean-François Papillon|Jean-François]] and [[Biassou]] continued to fight against Louverture until November, when they left for Spain and Florida, respectively. At that point, most of their men joined Louverture's forces.<ref>[[#Bell|Bell (2008) [2007]]], p. 115.</ref> Louverture also made inroads against the British presence, but was unable to oust them from [[Saint-Marc]]. He contained them by resorting to [[Guerilla warfare|guerilla tactics]].<ref>[[#Bell|Bell (2008) [2007]]], pp. 110–114.</ref>

Throughout 1795 and 1796, Louverture was also concerned with re-establishing agriculture and exports, and keeping the peace in areas under his control. In speeches and policy he revealed his belief that the long-term freedom of the people of Saint-Domingue depended on the economic viability of the colony.<ref>[[#Bell|Bell (2008) [2007]]], pp. 113, 126.</ref> He was held in general respect, and resorted to a mixture of diplomacy and force to return the field hands to the plantations as emancipated and paid workers.<ref>James, pp. 155–156.</ref> Workers regularly staged small rebellions, protesting poor working conditions, their lack of real freedom, or their fear of a return to slavery. They wanted to establish their own small holdings and work for themselves, rather than on plantations.<ref>James, pp. 152–154.</ref>

Another of Louverture's concerns was to manage potential rivals for power within the French part of the colony. The most serious of these was the mulatto commander Jean-Louis Villatte, based in [[Cap-Français]]. Louverture and Villate had competed over the command of some sections of troops and territory since 1794. Villatte was thought to be somewhat racist toward black soldiers such as Louverture and planned to ally with [[André Rigaud]], a free man of color, after overthrowing French General Étienne Laveaux.<ref>Laurent Dubois and John Garrigus, ''Slave Revolution in the Caribbean, 1789–1804: A Brief History with Documents''. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, p. 31.</ref> In 1796 Villate drummed up popular support by accusing the French authorities of plotting a return to slavery.

On 20 March, he succeeded in capturing the French Governor Laveaux, and appointed himself Governor. Louverture's troops soon arrived at Cap-Français to rescue the captured governor and to drive Villatte out of town. Louverture was noted for opening the warehouses to the public, proving that they were empty of the chains that residents feared had been imported to prepare for a return to slavery. He was promoted to commander of the West Province two months later, and in 1797 was appointed as Saint-Domingue's top-ranking officer.<ref name="Dubois and Garrigus, p.31">Dubois and Garrigus, p. 31.</ref> Laveaux proclaimed Louverture as Lieutenant Governor, announcing at the same time that he would do nothing without his approval, to which Louverture replied: "After God, Laveaux."<ref>Bell, pp. 132–134; James, pp. 163–173.</ref>