Adbaraya Toya aka Victoria Montou was born in the Dahomey Kingdom (Bénin), she ranked high amongst the Amazons known as N’Nonmiton filled with the fiercest warriors. She was a midwife, a warrior and a healer. She raised Haiti’s founding father Dessalines and his two brothers and taught him the physical maneuvers of effective hand to hand combat, how to shoot and how to throw a knife, and trained others in the art of war. Her abduction, would ship her to a new life of enslavement in Haiti. Her warrior spirit stayed with her and would not be broken through the slave trip. A soldier and freedom fighter in the army of Jean-Jacques Dessalines during the Haitian Revolution. She was not the only woman to serve in the Haitian army during the revolution, but most of the names of the female soldiers were forgotten by history.
Montou had worked alongside Dessalines as a slave. She was described as intelligent, energetic, and felt hatred toward slavery. She was an extraordinary warrior and commanded her own indigenous army. When Montou was dying, the emperor demanded the doctor to treat her as he would him, and stated that Toya, who was not related by blood to him, was his aunt. She was given a state funeral with a procession of eight sergeants.
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Source:wikipedia
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Pure mulatto, son of a rich planter and a black woman. He was educated in Bordeaux. but was always inclined towards the army. –
Narrow-minded, he never succeeded either in stifling the feelings of prejudice against black Haitians, whom he did not forgive, or against the whites for having the same feeling towards him and towards his social class based off his race. –
About him Madiou said: “He was very dark with crinkly hair. He always wore a wig of smooth hair.” Perhaps, it is true, the smooth-haired wig was connected with his immoderate love of pleasure.
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By 1796, “Rigaud was virtually dictator” in the south. No black soldiers rose above the rank of captain in his army.
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Increasingly, Rigaud became jealous of Toussaint’s successes and recognition. Seemingly unable to stop himself, he began turning every victory into defeat. After badly losing a final virulent set of conflicts beginning with ‘the war of the knife’. Rigaud was ordered back to France. –
After a 5 months siege of Jacmel, Petion fled at night but some of his soldiers were caught and killed.
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Later that year, in July 1800, Rigaud fled the island and tried to go to France, when more problems were awaiting him… .
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