Having secured dominance in the French colony, Louverture turned to the eastern part of the island, Spanish Santo Domingo, where slavery still existed. In early 1801 he invaded the territory and abolished slavery, thus bringing the entire island under his authority. This action extended emancipation throughout Hispaniola and further demonstrated his independence from directives issued by France. Later that year, Louverture promulgated a constitution for the colony. It named him governor-general for life and granted him extensive powers over administration, the military, and economic policy. While the constitution maintained a nominal allegiance to France and affirmed Roman Catholicism as the official religion, it also contained no provision for direct French control. In practice, Saint-Domingue functioned as a largely autonomous political entity.

Napoleon Bonaparte, who became First Consul of France in 1799, initially confirmed Louverture’s authority but regarded him as an obstacle to restoring full French control over the colony. Louverture, for his part, sought to preserve the abolition of slavery and the political order he had established while continuing to profess loyalty to France. This relationship was marked by growing tension and ambiguity. Louverture strengthened the colony’s defenses, expanded and disciplined his army, and accumulated supplies in anticipation of possible conflict. At the same time, he attempted to reassure Napoleon of his allegiance, creating uncertainty about his long-term intentions. Divisions within the colony persisted, as some groups favored renewed French intervention, whereas others supported greater independence.

In January 1802 a large French expedition led by Gen. Charles Leclerc arrived in Saint-Domingue with orders to reestablish French authority. The invasion initially met with resistance, but shifting alliances weakened Louverture’s position. Some of his leading subordinates, including Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henry Christophe, eventually aligned with the French forces. After months of fighting, Louverture agreed in May 1802 to lay down his arms in exchange for assurances that slavery would not be restored.

Louverture retired in honor to a plantation after agreeing to lay down his arms. A few weeks later, in June 1802, he was invited to a parley by a French general, Jean-Baptiste Brunet, under false pretenses. With the cooperation of Leclerc and under orders from Napoleon, who suspected Louverture of plotting an uprising, Louverture was seized at Brunet’s home and sent to Fort-de-Joux in the French Jura Mountains, where he was confined and interrogated repeatedly. Louverture died in captivity in April 1803. His removal did not end the struggle in Saint-Domingue. Renewed resistance by his former generals, particularly after evidence emerged that France intended to reinstate slavery, led to the final defeat of French forces and the declaration of Haitian independence in 1804. Louverture is widely regarded as a central figure in the Haitian Revolution. His leadership transformed a fragmented uprising of enslaved people into a sustained political and military movement that abolished slavery and challenged European colonial authority.