The Partnership of Toussaint Louverture and America’s 2nd President, John Adams
Two Powerful Men Drawn Together As Equals to Create THE 'LOUVERTURE CLAUSE' In the American Congress History - December 1798
By November of 1798, Toussaint Louverture was the uncontested powerbroker in the French colony of Saint Domingue, today’s modern-day Haiti. Toussaint had brilliantly defeated the Spanish army, squashed the British invasion, vanquishing them from the territory, and had risen to the highest command in the French Colonial Government as its Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief.
Once the most productive economy in the world -producing 60% of the world's coffee, and 50% of the planet’s sugar
Toussaint was now responsible for the livelihood and protection of nearly 600,000 citizens of which 500,000 were newly freed slaves who needed employment. Compounding the challenges was a depleted treasury from the ravages of war, a stalled economy that needed to reignite, that was once the most productive in the world -producing 60% of the world's coffee, and 50% of the planet’s sugar along with several other commodities - defend the colony against foreign aggression and calm the internal conflicts between the Black, Mulatto and White population.
But Toussaint had a problem. The United States had made it illegal to trade with France or any French colony due to a dispute. France and America, who not long ago shared brotherly love from France’s economic and military assistance during the American Revolution, were no longer getting along. The Americans had stopped paying their war debt claiming the deal was made with King Louis XVI whom the French government had ceremoniously
The most productive agricultural economy in the world producing 60% of the worlds coffee and 50% of its sugar
beheaded! Further infuriating France was that the new country was cozying up to its arch-rival, Great Britain, once America’s enemy! Merde they claimed!
By treaty, France couldn’t go to war with America as it would legally void the war debt so they recruited French Privateers (Pirates) plying the waters around Saint Domingue to attack American merchant vessels trading
France unleashed it’s Pirates to wreak havoc on American Shipping and looked towards Toussaint to help stop it
with French colonies. In all, over 300 American vessels were either sunk or stolen during the conflict named the ‘Quasi War’
America retaliated and made it illegal for American merchants to trade with France or any of its colonies. With Saint Domingue being the most active of France’s trading posts for the Americans, Toussaint now had an export
Thomas Pickering and Joseph Bunel successfully lobbied Congress for the passage of the ‘Toussaint Clause’ amendment
crisis and an import supply chain nightmare on his hands.
At the time, John Adams was the second President of the United States, and an abolitionist who respected Toussaint and his new black government, even secretly hoping they would become independent from France, albeit to the opposition of the American Southern slave
U.S. Ships would obtain visas and pay duty to Toussaint’s government
states who feared that Toussaint would export the ‘Free The Slave’ franchise to the United States of America.
Toussaint saw an opportunity. He knew the Americans wanted to trade with his colony so he crafted a proposal for Adams and sent a trade envoy to negotiate a deal. Joseph Bunel, a White French Creole businessman married to Marie Fanchette, a black Creole woman,
President John Adams was receptive to Toussaint’s proposals
traveled to Philidelphia in December of 1798 to negotiate secretly with then Secretary of State Thomas Pickering and members of the American Congress.
Bunel proposed a deal that would protect American shipping, rein in the French pirates, go after those who had stolen American vessels, and agree to never export Haiti’s slave revolt to the U.S. Southern states.
In exchange, Adams would open trade with the colony, have U.S. vessels pay local taxes, and begin diplomatic relations with Toussaint's semi-autonomous French colony. The legislation was masterfully engineered through Congress to provide Adams the authority to select Saint Domingue as a safe haven for American trade allowing the two leaders to create a common market system.
Slave holding Southern States vehemently opposed the legislation towards the Black governed colony
Slave-holding Southern states howled at the legislation and immediately labeled it “Toussaint’s Clause” as it was obvious that it was created to benefit Saint Domingue, which it did, as a thousand American vessels re-entered trade with the colony ushering a new era of prosperity for both America and Haiti (Saint Domingue at that time)
Toussaint considered himself an equal partner to the American President and presented a strong win-win proposition
So, what lessons can we learn from this story? The most important is that Toussaint Louverture did not go to John Adams with his hat in hand begging for assistance. He went as an equal partner to the American President and presented a strong win-win proposition that would equally benefit his colony and the United States. A true statesman, he was able, at the time, to maneuver the British, the French, and in this case the Americans, to diplomatic initiatives in favor of his people.
