Book Description

Biography of Pierre Toussaint, born in 1766 on the island of St. Domingo, portrays his experiences in slavery as peaceful and happy. In addition to Toussaint's life in St. Domingo, the author also provides information about St. Domingo's economy, political climate, and a brief account of Toussaint L'Ouverture, a former slave who rose to prominence on the island. During a period of unrest, Toussaint, his sister, Rosalie and their master, John Bérard, moved to New York, where Toussaint was trained as a hairdresser, and soon developed a growing clientele. Following the death of his master, Toussaint cared for his mistress by paying her debts and buying her luxuries out of his savings and employment. Toussaint was freed from slavery upon the death of his mistress and he purchased the freedom of his sister and his future wife. Nevertheless, when asked about Emancipation he refused to participate or claim to be an Abolitionist saying that they had not seen blood shed as he had, and they did not know what they were doing. Much of the remainder of the narrative describes his most meaningful relationships, particularly with his wife, Juliette, and his niece, Euphemia, and details various charitable ventures he was involved in. Written in third person, a large part of the narrative is related through Toussaint's correspondence with various relatives and acquaintances. A short appendix relays his death announcements that appeared in New York newspapers.